Just A Formality
by Kessica

By the time Albus Dumbledore made it to the transfiguration classroomto inform the seventh years that Minerva would not be in today andprobably never again, Hermione Granger had already started teachingthe lesson. He was a little surprised but merely waited for a pause inher lecture before he went up and whispered something in her ear andshe paled a little but nodded bravely. He apologized for theinterruption to the class and went back to his office where severalOrder members were waiting to assess the situation.

Hermione was the head girl in her last year of Hogwarts and no one wasshocked about that either. A few of the Slytherin protested her takingover the class for the rest of term but the NEWTS were on the horizonand so even Draco Malfoy stopped his whining when she helped himimprove his transfiguring in a way that would probably improve hisscores by a whole letter. She understood that taking overtransfiguration meant missing most of her other classes so Harrybrought an enchanted quill to class with him ­ something that wasusually prohibited ­ and she got notes from class, word for word. Itwasn't as if she hadn't read all of the books anyway. Secretly, shethought her attendance in class was just a formality.

The Gryffindors missed McGonagall and her absence remained whollyunexplained except to a select few. Dumbledore had said somethingabout a much needed sabbatical but had told Hermione that she'd beeninjured while on assignment for the Order and was actually in thecastle, in her chambers recovering but still unable to speak well orwalk. She slept most of the day while Poppy flooed in every few hoursto check on her. Hermione had told Harry and Ron since they knew aboutthe Order anyway.

It was fun teaching but she was tired most of the time from doing allher homework and giving it to Harry to turn in and from doing all thegrading for the hundreds of essays she received from every yearweekly. Professor McGonagall had her lessons all planned out and soHermione just followed them with few altercations. Every so oftenDumbledore came by to poke his head in but no one acted up and no onehad fallen behind. Everyone, even those who did not particularly likeMiss Granger, knew she was bloody brilliant and respected her headgirl status and with NEWTS creeping ever forward and a war so close itwas taking out their very professors, no one caused any problems.

Well ­ the only problem that did occur was when she was grading. Inthe library, in the great hall, in the common room, students werealways coming up to her asking about their grades and if there wasstill room for improvement. Even when she retreated to her bedroom ­ aluxury that had always been afforded to the head boy and girl ­ therewere students knocking on her door pretending to search for a lost petor borrow a quill who really just wanted inside knowledge on the nexttest or quiz. Finally, she gathered up some candles and all hergrading after dinner one night and trudged up several flights ofstairs to an empty tower on the northwest side of the castle on afloor and in a wing she wasn't exactly supposed to be in. There was asmall, stone room she'd found one night on patrol that she wanted totry. It was dusty ­ she'd have to ask the house elves to clean it nexttime she saw one ­ but it would do. She conjured a desk and a chair;rustic but satisfactory. She didn't want to be too comfortable andfall asleep. She lit all her candles and sat down to work for a fewhours on the third years. It nearly killed her to do it, but shedidn't falter in the grading. Professor McGonagall had always returnedtheir essay within one week of handing them in and Hermione did thesame ­ regardless of the sleepless nights it took it to do so. Shecouldn't even remember a weekend where she just hung out or oversleptor went to town.

She wasn't sure how long he'd been watching her but she looked upbriefly to push a few curls out of her eye and nearly fell off herchair.

"Professor!" she said, standing, feeling guilty for some reason. Maybebecause she'd found some peace and quiet and it was hard to come by ina castle so filled with life. Maybe because she wasn't supposed to bein that part of the castle even though as head girl it wasn't much ofan infraction. "You scaredŠ I mean, you're very stealthy, sir." Shesaid, not wanting to admit fear to a man who seemed to thrive on it.

"I didn't mean to startle you, Miss Granger. I didn't think anyoneelse knew about this tower." he admitted. "Even I need to get aboveground once in a while." she smiled at the potions master slightly forhe was notorious for lurking about the dungeons and only comingupstairs for meals and patrol.

"The students are relentless about wanting to know their grades." sheexplained. "I just needed a place where I could do it all in peace."

"Understandable." he said. He came fully into the room and went overto the long, narrow, arched window that looked over the lake. "It's afull moon tonight." he commented. She was a bit surprised he'd notleft or asked her to leave and was no making generic conversation.

"It's beautiful on the water like that." she agreed. "I can't help butthink about Professor Lupin, though, and our third year." she saidfeeling almost social after being cooped up for so long. He glanced ather briefly as if to say he wasn't in the mood for reminiscing.

"Always getting into trouble." he murmured, not sounding angry, exactly.

"Always saving our lives." she countered, thinking of him standing infront of Harry, Ron, and herself, his arms outstretched to shield themwith his own body. He'd grabbed on to her arm so tightly that nightthat in the morning she'd had bruises in the shape of his fingers butit was out of fear and not anger that he'd unintentionally hurt herand she felt a sort of longing when the marks disappeared from herskin. All trace of his heroics were gone and he was back to beingbitter Professor Snape once again.

But here he was now, the moon reflecting on his white skin, lookingforlorn and alone.

"You shouldn't have to come up here," he said, changing the subject."to this dank, filthy room to continue to do everyone a favor."

"I don't mindŠ"

"Of course you don't, Gryffindor." he said. "But I can see you'reexhausted. Gather your things. Follow me." he said. She had neverargued with an order he gave her in that tone of voice so she blew outher candles and put everything in her bag that was beginning to frayon the shoulder strap from too much weight just as it did every yearabout this time. He walked beside her on the way down out of thetower, not in front of her and she appreciated that. They stopped atan unfamiliar portrait on the seventh floor and he said the passwordclearly so she could hear and remember it. "Poinsettia" The portraitof the two fishermen in a boat on a lake swung open and inside was acozy room full of desks, tables, couches and a large, crackling fireplace.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's the staff room." he said. "You are a part-time member of ourstaff now and I see no reason why you shouldn't do your grading here."he said. She stepped in and he followed her, allowing the portrait toclose. It was mostly empty except for the two of them and ProfessorFlitwick who'd fallen asleep on one of the sofas and was snoringsoftly. Snape rolled his eyes. "This is Minerva's desk." he said,pointing to an antique wooden roll top desk that Hermione immediatelycoveted. She touched it reverently and smile at Snape.

"Thank you." she said. "You're being very kind, tonight."

"Are you surprised I have a soul, Miss Granger?" he asked, snidely.

"Just surprised you're letting me see." she countered and he nodded asif approving.

"I'll let you get on with it, then." he said and left her alone withFlitwicks's snores.

Eventually, Professor McGonagall asked to see Hermione. Dumbledore lether through the portrait that lead into the wing of the castle thatheld the staff quarters and stopped at a picture of a tabby cat. Theportrait opened without a password and that made sense to Hermione.The staff trusted each other enough not to have to lock their roomsfrom one another and Hermione immediately wished for that sort ofimplicit trust in her life.

"Minerva!" Dumbledore called merrily. "Are you decent?"

"Of course." she called from the bedroom but the voice sounded paperthin. They went down a narrow hallway into her bedroom and Hermioneworked hard to keep her reaction off of her face. The only way todescribe her once lively and stern professor was translucent. Thestrength was gone and all that remained was the body barely hangingon. Her skin was so thin and pale she could see the veins underneath.Her hair was straggly and completely gray and she had deep circlesbeneath her eyes and oh, she was desperately thin. Her breathing wasragged and audible.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall." she said, timidly stepping forward into the room.

"I know I look awful." she said, smiling at the girl. "But my mind issharp as it ever was. Have a seat. Thank you, Albus. I'd like a wordalone with our head girl." Dumbledore nodded and left the room.

"It's good to see you." Hermione said, sitting at the chair by herbed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Oh no, Poppy was just in." she said. "I heard that you've quite savedthe day."

"Oh, I don't know about that." she said. "I hope you don't mind. Inever intended to replace you in anyway. It's just that you were lateand it was so uncharacteristic and I thought if I started the lesson,you wouldn't have to make up for lost time when you came back butŠ"she faltered here. "You will come back?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Not before you graduate, I'm afraid. I've worked atHogwarts a long time, now." she said. "Hermione, I never thought youwere replacing me. I'm the most proud of you of any Gryffindor at thisschool." Hermione blushed but her eyes shined with gratitude.

"We miss you." she said, of her fellow house mates. "ProfessorTrewlany is the interim head of house so you can imagine it's not beengoing well between us." Hermione confessed.

"She wasn't even a Gryffindor when she was a student." McGonagallcomplained. "No wonder Albus wouldn't tell me who."

"Yes. Mostly I just try to resolve everything myself without involvingher. The students have been very respectful." she said. "The staff,too." she blushed, slightly at this, thinking of Snape sitting in themoonlight in the tower window, how it'd made her heart skip a beat tolook at him.

"That's good. You're keeping up with the grading?" she asked. "If not,I can help. I just lay here all day."

"You are resting and healing, not laying here." Hermione said. "I keepup. Professor Snape showed me the staff room so I've been using yourdesk."

"Severus?" she asked.

"He sort of caught me one night hiding out in the northwest tower andhe thought that a place with light might be more appropriate." shesaid. "He was very sweet about it, actually." McGonagall didn'trespond, just raised her eyebrow.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was going well. And to let youknow you can ask anything of me." she said, reaching out to claspHermione's hand in her cold, frail one. Hermione squeezed her hand.

"Of course, thank you." she said. "Professor? Do you mind if I askedwhat happened?" she asked.

"Ah. There was a group of Death Eaters in Hogsmeade." she said. "Albusgot a tip that they had a student and I went out toŠ well, theydidn't." she said, turning away. "If Severus hadn't been thereŠ" sheclosed her eyes and Hermione bowed her head. "I think students oughtto know what the Crucio does to a person butŠ" she looked at Hermionewith clear, sad eyes. "If only we could all fare as well as Severuswhen enduring the unthinkable curses." Hermione didn't know what tomake of McGonagall's admittance of Snape's power.

"If you need me ProfessorŠ I guess we can just be there for eachother." she said. "I'll let you rest now." she stood and kissedMcGonagall's cheek and let herself out, leaving the older woman todeal with her pain. Hermione was surprised to hear that Snape was asinvolved as he was. He'd been present in Dumbledore's office whenshe'd heard that McGonagall had been injured during work for the Orderand he'd said nothing. As she was walking back to the transfigurationclassroom for her afternoon classes, she saw Snape in passing, on hisway downstairs to the dungeons as she was walking up. Their eyes metbriefly and her heart missed a beat in just the same way it had beforein the tower.

"Professor." she murmured.

"Miss Granger." he said. She felt her hand brush his robes and sheturned her head to watch him walk away over her shoulder. His hair wasso much longer now, in her last year, and he'd taken to tying it backwith a strip of black leather. It no longer hung in his eyes or gotgreasy from hanging over cauldrons all day. Instead he lookedaristocratic and regal. Shaking off the feeling he left her with, shefinished her trek to the classroom and forced her self to focus on thelessons. She didn't think about him again until she saw him come intothe staff room well past curfew. She was the only on in there. She'dspent most part of her evening doing homework ­ including a two footessay for him ­ and now she had about three hundred essays to gradebefore tomorrow in order to get them back within a week.

"Miss Granger, you ought to be in bed." he said, pouring him self acup of tea and sipping it from the far side of the room. "You arestill a student."

"I don't have very much more." she lied. He looked at the stack infront of her and sighed, pulling a chair to her side and sitting downwith a flourish.

"Hermione, no one expects you to be both student and teacher withoutextending your deadlines some." he said in a gentle voice she'd neverheard before. She liked the way her first name sounded, dripping outof his mouth like velvet. She'd always loved to listen to him lecture.His voice was enchanting. She'd listen to him read the phonebook, ifshe could. She almost laughed out right. He'd probably have no ideawhat a phonebook even was.

"I can do it." she said.

"Let me help you." he said. She looked at him, stared right into hisdark eyes searching for ulterior motives and found none. She wanted toreach out and touch his face. Who was this man?

"All right." she said. "That pile is the seventh years. I always feelthe most guilty grading those, especially Ron and Harry's." she said."You'll like giving them low grades as I find it to be abysmal." hechuckled and took the spare quill she offered him. Occasionally theirhands bumped when going for the inkbottle at the same time. She couldfeel the heat coming off of him, sitting so close to her at the samedesk, sharing space. Sometimes he read her particularly awful linesand she snickered at his precise sarcasm and observations. Once, hestopped and looked at her questioningly.

"Hermione this essay is yours." he said. She glanced over at it andnodded, recognizing her neat, round handwriting.

"Yes." she said, finally having reached the fourth year essays.

"You mean to tell me that you also complete the assignments that you assign?"

"It seems only fair." she said.

"No, Hermione, it's ridiculous." he said sounding suddenly angry."You're driving yourself into the ground with this and I'm tired ofwatching you drag yourself around. I'm going to talk to Albus in themorning."

"No, Professor, please, I can handle it." she said.

"I can't believe that you do homework for your own class." hemuttered, looking at the essay. "It's very good."

"I know." she whispered. "Professor, IŠ" but she didn't know what tosay. She reached out for the essay and took it from his hands,shakily. "I don't want to let anyone down."

"Oh, dear girl." he said and did something that both comforted andfrightened her. He gathered her up into his arms and let her rest herhead on his shoulder, soothing her. She was a little rigid at firstbut the very smell of him ­ like Christmas spices ­ soothed her andshe finally relaxed into embrace, completely drained. She didn't worryabout anyone seeing them for it was nearly two in the morning now. Shelet him rub small circles on her back and she thought she felt ­though she was nearly asleep at this point ­ she thought she felt himdrop a kiss on the crown of her head.

Snape knew that he never should have touched her. He'd been so good atbeing mean to her for so long. The war, his position as a spy demandedit. He had to play favorites with his house and hate the Gryffindors,especially a show off mudblood like Hermione Granger. Truthfully, hewas constantly impressed by her intelligence and now, as a seventhyear, he saw her as a woman, not a child. Her position within theOrder and now as a member of the staff, he felt that he didn't have tobe quite so cruel to her, that he could give her the praise,attention, and affection the wondrous girl deserved. But now, with herin his arms, he found that he never wanted to let go. Her hair tickledhis nose, the smell a little dizzying and he found himself smelling itand pressing his lips against the top of her head. She was sleepingnow, exhausted, her breathing deep and even. They couldn't stay likethis forever. He picked her up and she curled up in his arms. Heexpected her to wake up and leap out of his greasy, bitter embrace butinstead she breathed deeply and stayed asleep. The poor thing. Why didAlbus agree to let her take on the dual roles of full-time student andfull-time professor? He would have to figure out some way to ease thepressure. But for the moment, he had an armful of Hermione and he hadto figure out what to do with her. It was late enough that even theprefects had gone to bed and so he decided to carry her to the headgirl's chambers. He didn't bother to light his wand. He knew theentire castle backward and forward and only called for light when hewas in front of her portrait. It was a young girl ­ a dancer and shelooked at him sleepily.

"Password?" she asked, yawning.

"I haven't a clue. But this is the head girl." he said.

"I can't let you in." she said. He sighed.

"Hermione." he said. She moaned a bit. "Hermione, love, what is yourpassword?" he asked, startling himself as the endearment slipped pasthis lips. Hopefully, she would remember none of this.

"Alchemy." she muttered. The young dancer shrugged as if to say it wasgood enough for her and the portrait opened. He stepped in and thesitting room was tidy. There was a bathroom to the left and what mustbe her bedroom to the right. He went in to see the four poster bedmade up in lavender bedding. He set her on the mattress and pulled athrow blanket over her. She curled up and remained fast asleep.

"Goodnight." he whispered and made his way out of her chambers.

"Goodnight, Severus." she whispered, after he'd gone.

This seemed to be a pattern with Professor Snape. He would be mostlyout of her life for weeks at a time ­ she only saw him at meals andnow she didn't even have him in classes anymore. But then he wouldappear to help her out just add a touch of kindness. She never thoughtthat she'd use a phrase like 'touch of kindness' to describe theintimidating potions master but he was always so gentle with her. Notlong after Snape had carried her to her room, Headmaster Dumbledorehad approached Hermione and gave her a small, discreet box.

"I was instructed to return this to you. It seems you have need of itagain." he said. "Open it when you are alone and don't overworkyourself, my dear." he said. She nodded, and made her way to herrooms. Inside the box was the small golden time turner from her thirdyear. Suddenly everything seemed easy and she wasn't so tired. Now shecould finish everything and still get a full night's sleep. Sure she'dhave to be careful not to run into herself but she'd gotten quiteproficient at it that third year of Hogwarts. After they'd savedBuckbeak, she'd returned it to the headmaster and now she held it onceagain. She knew that Snape had, in fact, gone to the headmaster andworked out a way to lighten her load. She felt like finding him,wherever he was in the castle and nestling herself in his arms oncemore.

By Saturday, she had the first morning free inŠ she wasn't sure howlong. She had plans to visit Professor McGonagall in the afternoon butfor now, she wasn't doing anything related to homework or teaching.She took a bath and put on some comfortable jeans and dug around inher trunk for a long-sleeved black shirt she knew she had somewhere.She didn't own very many dark colors but she felt like paying homageto Snape in the only way she could. She pulled on her warm cloak. Itwas early, still before breakfast, but she knew the library would beopen and so she thought she might go read for leisure for awhile andthen decide if she even wanted to eat breakfast. The time-turner waswarm around her neck. No matter how cold it got, the gold never cooled­ it was always humming against her skin.

She'd barely gotten to the library when she saw Snape walking towardsher. He was the first person she'd seen as most everyone was stillasleep on their Saturday morning. Even breakfast was served two hourslater on the weekend. She should have figured Snape to be a morningperson like her.

"Professor Snape." she said. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Miss Granger." he said. "You're up rather early."

"Morning person." she said. He smiled and she turned to continue tothe library. She'd taken about six steps when he called after her.

"Miss Granger, I was just going to go for a morning walk." he said.She turned to face him and he looked almost hopeful. "Would you liketo accompany me?" All thoughts of the library immediately disappearedfrom her head.

"I would love to." she said, turning back and together they left thecastle. They stood, later, at the edge of the lake after a fairlysilent but companionable walk. The water rippled just out of reach oftheir shoes. It was getting warmer now and the NEWTs were barely amonth away.

"What will you do when you graduate?" Snape asked, breaking thesilence and looking down at her. He was so tall and this morning hishair was loose around his shoulders. She'd charmed hers into a longFrench braid down her back, a few curls escaping around her face.

"I haven't a clue." she said. "I feel like I've not seen my parents inyears and so I'll probably spend some time with them butŠ" sheshrugged. "We're from different worlds now."

"You could stay." he said.

"Stay?" she asked, a little confused.

"Transfiguration. We've both seen Minerva. It will be years before shecomes back if she does at all." he said.

"I suppose it depends on how I score on my NEWTs." she said. "I do allmy homework and review all my notes but I've not been to a class inages." she said. "I don't even know what any of my grades are rightnow." she said. "I feel like I'm floundering, a bit." She reached outand placed her hand on his black clothed forearm. "Thank you for theturner, though." He neither confirmed nor denied his involvement.

"You're still the top of the class." he said. "I think if you tookyour NEWTs now you'd be fine." He turned to look at her again. "Infact, that could probably be arranged."

"What?" she asked, staring at him. "I couldn't possibly. WhyŠ it's noteven fair."

"I'll talk to Albus. You could go to Ministry one weekend and takethem there. I'd take you myself." he offered. "Don't decide now,besides, we've been out here nearly an hour and I think a cup of teacould do us some good." He offered her his elbow and she slipped herhand through and they started the trek back to the castle.

"If I did, then I wouldn't be a student? I wouldn't have to keep upwith my classes any longer?" she asked.

"It would seem redundant after you'd already passed the tests." he said.

"Mmm." she said, noncommittally but he could tell she was thinkingabout it. She expected him to lead her to the kitchens or to the staffroom but instead they went down to the dungeons, through his classroomand into his private chambers. "You don't live upstairs with the otherstaff?" she asked, thinking of the row of portraits that heldMcGonagall's room.

"No." he said. "They always pop in on one another. It's too much likethe dormitories themselves. I much prefer the solitude the dungeonsprovide. Have a seat." he said, motioning to a small table situatednear the fire that was well roaring. She did and soon a full teaservice as well as a few pieces of fruit and a platter of pastriesappeared. He sat down with her, after removing their cloaks. He'dtaken her cloak from her shoulders like a gentleman. He served herfirst and soon they were eating and drinking companionably. The walkhad made her hungry.

"I like transfiguration." she said, causing him to look up at her."But out of all the subjects I could teach, it's probably not the oneI would choose."

"What would you choose?" he asked.

"Potions." she said immediately and he looked pleased. "Charms,perhaps. But I like the science of potions."

"I as well." he said. She set down her now empty tea cup.

"Well, thank you for breakfast. I had a nice morning." she said.

"You don't have to go." he said, eyeing her fidget in her chair. "Youcan, of course, but you don't have to." she stilled and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, but who are you? I don't understand what's happening. Youhate me! You hate my friends! I'm a know-it-all in a house that youdespise and yet here we are having breakfast in your personal chambersand you're asking me to stay and you're so kind and helpful and whenwe hugged the other night I never wanted to let go and I don't knowwhat that means." she said, her voice rising and falling in betweenyelling and whispering at him. She put her hand on her forehead andsighed. "I don't know what's happening anymore."

"You're right. Your reaction is wholly fair." he said, looking rightinto her eyes which were glistening with confusion and tears ­ anexpression that he rarely saw on her intelligent face. "I'm so sorry Iever had to make you believe that I hated you. How could I playfavorites with a house like yours when I was under the watch of theDark Lord so intensely? I couldn't like you but I have always, sincethe first day when you answered every question correctly and have yetto stop. You're a breath of fresh air to this school, Hermione, andyou've just recently risen to a position where I don't have to lieanymore." he explained, leaning across the table and taking her coldhand into his own.

"Is that true?" she asked. "You don'tŠ you never hated me?"

"Merlin, no. I like you too much as it is." he said. He looked awayfrom her at this and sat back guiltily. She understood what he meant.He was attracted to her as well. She couldn't complain about that asshe felt the same about him and now he was treating her as an equaland even speeding up her graduation to make her a peer instead of asubordinate. Selfish, perhaps, but she wanted it too.

"I like you, too." she whispered, reattaching her hand to his. "I'llstay," He cleared his throat but looked pleased.

"Excellent." he said. "What does the head girl usually do on herSaturdays?" he asked.

"Well, this is the first free Saturday I've had inŠ months." Hermioneadmitted. "I was going to go to the library and then I was going tovisit Professor McGonagall in the afternoon." She said. "Other thenthat, nothing specific. Harry and Ron are usually in Qudditch practiceall weekend."

"Yes, their victories over the Slytherin team are becoming quite anuisance." he growled. "RegardlessŠ Would you like to see my personallibrary?"

"Yes." she said, immediately. "Yes, I would." she said and he stoodand she followed him through a previously closed door. She tried notto blush when they entered his bedroom. He had a four poster bed ­ shejust assumed at this point all the beds in the castle were basicallythe same ­ with a thick black comforter that looked feather soft andgreen sheets that glistened like satin in the candle light from thesconces. She'd not been awake long but suddenly all she wanted to dowas to crawl into that bed with her potions professor and sleep curledinto the shape of his body. Steeling herself she tore her gaze awayfrom the bed and looked around the rest of the room. It was tidy ­ ofcourse it would be ­ and held no pictures or knickknacks. He wasperusing the row of bookshelves and she was immediately at home in theroom. The library was filled with old, rare books on any and everysubject and she reached out to run her fingertips over their spineslightly. He pulled a tome out and handed it to her.

"You'll find this interesting." he commented and started to undo theseveral buttons on his outer frock coat. Soon he was in just his blackslacks and white shirt, his hair hanging in his face as he chose abook for himself. He looked so comfortable here in his own space andso attractive and youthful without his stern expression and sternoutfit. She regretted having to wait seven years to see this side ofhim and now the year was almost over and she would probably have toleave before she got to know him as well as she wanted to.

"If you were serious about taking the NEWTs early and staying on...I'd like to try." she said, and he looked up from the book he hadpulled out.

"I'll talk to Albus." he assured her and stood up with the book. "Whatdo you think of that?" he asked, motioning to the book she hadn't yetglanced at. She perched on the edge of his mattress, rather boldly shethought, and looked at it. It was an ancient potions text full ofrecipes that were probably not even in the restricted section. Shefelt the mattress shift as he sat next to her, nearly touching her.

"It's great." she said. "I'd probably never get the chance to read itany other way." She could smell the tea on his breath, the way hisskin smelled, his hair and all of it was making her a little dizzy.They should have never admitted they had feelings for one another. Itwasn't like he confessed that he loved her or anything yet shecouldn't look up and she couldn't move.

"Hermione." he said, softly. "What's wrong?"

"I can't look at you." she said with a tone of practicality. "If Ilook at you, I think I might kiss you."

"Ah, I see." he said. "I often feel that way when you are around."

"I am a student and you're a professor and I shouldn't even be here."she whispered. "When did this happen?" He didn't answer and shewouldn't look up. When she felt his fingers on the bottom of her chin,she closed her eyes and let him tilt her face towards his. Slowly, hismouth descended and his lips grazed her. Not a kiss, per se, butcontact all the same. He pulled back and she opened her eyes. He waswatching her expectantly. As if to say, 'See? The world did not end.'The world was just waking up above them. She knew now that thebathrooms would be filled with students showering and brushing theirteeth. The great hall was slowly filling with staff and children. Thefirst years had finally gotten the hang of things just in time forexams and Harry and Ron were probably already on their brooms chasingbewitched balls and clapping each other on the backs. And where wasshe now? In the depths of the castle with a man that most peoplethought had cloven hooves instead of feet. There she was, on her kneeswith her hands pushing his shoulders back against the mattress. Thereshe was, with her knees on either side of his waist and her mouthpressed hotly to his. There they were with their tongues in eachother's mouth and she was pulling her black sweater over her head andhe was undoing the buttons to his shirt manually because he'd left hiswand in the other room. There she was, underneath her potionsprofessor writhing and moaning with him deep inside of her, pantingand undulating. He was gasping her name and she was digging her nailsinto the skin of his pale, smooth back. There they were, the onlypeople in the dungeons on a Saturday, screaming out their climaxes andcollapsing, spent.

She woke up on satin sheets with a man wrapped around her, completelydisoriented. Where the hell was she? And then she remembered androlled over to face him. He was still asleep, his hair fanned outaround him. She wondered if he would wake up and be disgusted. Herhair had come out of its braid and was now wild and everywhere. Thecurls mingled with his black tresses on the pillow. She slid out ofthe bed and padded silently, naked, to the bathroom and shut the door.Her thighs were sticky and she avoided looking into the mirror as shetore of a strip of toilet paper to wipe herself clean. She'd lost hervirginity to a muggle boy who'd lived down the street when home lastsummer. She hadn't wanted to come to her last year still a virgin. Itwas a silly notion but she was tired of Lavender knowing more aboutsomething then she did. But he'd been a muggle and so they'd used acondom and it was much less of a mess. Professor Snape ­ Severus now ­had whispered a contraceptive charm before hand (after she hadsummoned his wand with her own, too embarrassed at the moment to learnthe charm herself) and the feeling of his skin right inside hers wasso much better than the chaffing of latex, mess or none. She relievedherself and went to the sink to wash her hands. She glanced up intothe mirror and was surprised at her reflection. Her hair was the samebut her eyes looked heavy and her cheeks were still rosy from theexertion. She could see love bites forming on her neck and chest andshe seemed to remember one on the inside of her thigh. The memory ofit made her blush even more fiercely. The muggle boy certainly hadn'tdone that to her. She looked like a woman, even to herself now. Shewas eighteen and that was well over the legal age in the wizardingworld. She hoped he wouldn't regret what they had done.

He was awake when she came out of the loo.

"Everything okay?" he asked, looking just as worried as she felt.

"Yes, I was just a bit sticky." she said, shyly. She was stillcompletely nude and he was watching her unabashedly. She leaned overto slip her panties back on and then noticed the rip down the side.He'd literally torn them off of her. She held them up to him and helaughed. It made him look all the more handsome and she abandoned thepanties and the idea of leaving and crawled back into bed and into hisarms.

"Sorry about your knickers, love." he said, pressing his lips into herneck and nipping at the skin.

"Don't you dare bite down, I have enough of those marks and I wasnever very good at casting glamours." she admonished. He stoppedbiting and licked at the spot instead, soothing the light red markwith his tongue. She tried to concentrate. "Professor,"

"Honestly, Hermione if you can't assume that you can call me Severusafter I've thoroughly shagged you then when can you?" She shivered abit.

"Severus, what do we do now?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose I could go again," he said, flipping her over so thatshe was on her back and attacking her left breast with renewed vigor.It was some time before she could explain that another go wasn't whatshe meant. She lay lazily against him while he ran his fingers throughher tangled hair, kissing her every so often. "What did you reallymean?" he asked, pulling her more tightly against him.

"I mean that we can't exactly tell anyone about this. And even if I dograduate earlyŠ" she trailed off, not wanting to imply that therewould be a time after this or a relationship later on. She wasn't sonaïve that she had no concept of a fling. She wanted more with him, ofcourse but if he didn't then she could accept that.

"We won't tell a soul for now." he said. "As much as I hate children,I don't intend to lose my job and the last thing I want is for you tobe in trouble."

"For now?" she asked. "You want to see me again?"

"Hermione, love, I never want to let you out of my sight again." hesaid. She kissed his cheek.

"I've got to go see Professor McGonagall. She's expecting me in 20minutes and I'm never late." she said, crawling over him and out ofthe bed, pulling on her jeans without underwear and fastening her brawhile searching for her shirt. She charmed her hair back into itsbraid with her wand but it didn't look quite so sleek. All in all, shelooked rumpled. "Hopefully she isn't wearing her glasses." shemuttered and gathered her things and bid him goodbye.

Something made her avoid him for the next week. She assumed he wasavoiding her as well because she kept catching glances of his robeswhipping around corners in the hallways. She kept smelling his uniquescent ­ as if he'd been in the room just moments before she arrived.It wasn't that she didn't want to see him. She found herself achingfor his calming presence (the irony!) but there was just no legitimateway to go see him. She didn't have him in class and they rarelyoccupied the same parts of the castle at the same time. When she didsee him it was in the staff room. McGonagall's desk was situated onthe other side of the room from Snape's and with the exams coming,there was more homework assigned and with more homework came more tograde which made the staff room a very popular place when before it'dhad usually been empty. The staff welcomed her for the most part ­they at least left her alone; too busy with their own work to bebothered by a student. Hermione was studious as she ever was but foundherself watching him. More often than not, their eyes met and hesmiled quickly to let her know that he was thinking about her, too.Just the sight of him set her body aflame. She hoped no one saw herblushing.

One Friday evening during dinner, the headmaster walked merrily downto the Gryffindor table and tapped Hermione's shoulder. She looked athim with a calm exterior but inside she could feel the slow churn ofpanic upsetting her recently consumed dinner. Did Snape tell? Did heknow? Did the smell of sex overpower the many showers she'd had in thelast week? Was it that obvious? She'd always been a bad liarŠ Sherealized that he was speaking to her, asking her to step outside withhim. He was moving her away from the crowd so no one would see if shecaused a scene. Oh God, oh God, she was going to be expelled from aschool she didn't even really attend. She would lose her precious andprecarious position as teacher before she'd left her teen years. Shelooked at him, the fear evident on her face and it slowly dawned onher that he didn't look angry.

"I've arranged it all, Miss Granger. Tomorrow morning you will leaveHogwarts with professor Snape and go to the Ministry of Magic." Hermouth fell open. He did know. This was it. She was expelled and he wasfired and they had to go stand trial at the ministry and in 24 hoursshe'd be in a cell in Azkaban, never too see the light of day again.She opened her mouth toŠ what? Apologize? Protest? Admit her sins? WasDumbledore still talking? She should have been listening, sheadmonished herself; these last words might be her salvation from theworst prison in Great Britain. "ŠI didn't want you to over study.Exhaustion is the worst thing one can bring to exams."

"Excuse me?" She said her voice uncharacteristically high. "Exams?"

"Your NEWTs tomorrow. Severus told me you would prefer to just getthem out of the way, was he mistaken?" Dumbledore asked lookingslightly put out now.

"You want me to take my NEWTs tomorrow." she sighed. "Yes of courseŠTOMORROW?" she screeched. "I have to study!" She left the headmasterin her wake as she bolted to the library. He looked after her, shakinghis head.

"She didn't listen to a word I said." he said. Severus who'd left thestaff table to stand in a shadow and eavesdrop on the situation nowstepped into the light (ever the Slytherin) and shrugged hisshoulders.

"Even if she had, wild horses couldn't drag her away from thoseprecious books." he commented, dryly.

"I expected too much of her." Dumbledore said wistfully. "We shouldhave done this months ago." Snape let his silence act as agreement."Take care of her. You'll probably be watched."

"I would never let anything happen to her." he said. "Trust me."

"I do. Implicitly." Albus said, and went back in to finish hisdessert. Snape ignored the pang of guilt the headmaster's trustinduced and went to prepare for their weekend outing.

The morning of her NEWTs she was up well before the sun, pulling onher freshly cleaned and pressed school uniform. Her knee socks wereeven, her skirt pleated perfectly and her school robes hung neatly onher curvy frame. She wanted to be the model Hogwarts student for theMinistry officials and she wanted to represent Hogwarts with pride.She was also immensely nervous about spending the day in London withSeverus. She'd not had a moment alone with him since their first timeand she was beginning to doubt his intentions. Did it mean nothing tohim? She wished it had meant nothing to her but she knew it was a lie.She adored him and she missed the way he had made her body sing.

She didn't really need to bring anything with her save her wand, butshe wanted to be prepared for anything. She put a few quills and someink in her bag as well as a few spare rolls of parchment and two booksin case she was made to wait at all. She also slipped her time turneraround her neck. It seemed to be just as much a part of her uniform asher Gryffindor tie these days. Feeling prepared, she stepped out ofher room and went to the Great Hall where she was to meet Severus.

She was on time exactly but he was, of course, already waiting forher. He smiled a bit when he saw her approaching and she relaxed. Hewas happy to see her. She walked up to him and he laid a warm hand onher shoulder.

"Hello, Hermione." he said. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." she said. "Thank you for accompanying me."

"I've been looking forward to it. Your tests start as soon as wearrive and should continue for most of the day." he explained. She'dheard all of this before but it was a comfort just to hear his voiceall the same. He looked as he always did ­ black robes and highlypolished boots and that was comforting too. "We'll probably missdinner, so I thought perhaps we could eat in the city before wereturn."

"I think I should like thatŠ If I'm still alive by then, that is." shesaid. Her nerves were beginning to assert themselves in earnest now.

"I wouldn't worry. You know everything you need." he said. "Come alongnow, we have to hurry." he said. They were going to apparate from thegates of Hogwarts into the apparition room of the Ministry of Magic.Hermione had been rather proud to be the first of her year to learn toapparate correctly and the first to pass the test. At the gates, heleaned down at placed a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back,wrapping her arms around his neck. The castle was now out of sight,yet they were still miles from town. They were actually, for a fewmoments, alone and he was going to take advantage of it. He nudged hermouth open and slid his tongue inside, pulling her body flush againsthis. This, this was what she'd been waiting for.

"Oh, Severus." she said, pulling back to look at him. "I was afraidŠ"

"If I could have been with you everyday I would have." he said.

"I know." she said. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" He nodded,kissed her cheek one last time and then they disapparated with a pop.Severus had held her hand so she didn't accidentally wind up in thewrong place. Apparating always made her a bit dizzy, a littledisoriented, but Severus didn't give her time to recover before heyanked his hand away and started briskly walking away with a snarled,"Follow me." She understood that in this place he was a put uponprofessor taking a know-it-all impatience student to take exams early.He was not her lover. She followed trying not to believe the practicedpersona of hate he had slipped into. She was lead through a maze ofrooms and people and flying memos trying to soak it all and stillfocus on the task ahead of her. They stopped to have their wandsinspected. She saw a few people she recognized from the order but didnot acknowledge them as they did not to her. Why would they know her?Finally, Snape slowed and knocked on a door. It opened and inside wasa large room with a long table. There were seven witches and wizardsseated at the table who watched her come in. A few had soft smiles ontheir faces but two looked impatient and unpleasant.

"State your name." One of the wizards said. Snape stepped to the sideand sat in a chair, content to watch with a scowl.

"Hermione Granger." She said her voice confident. She could do this.She hadn't thought Snape would stay and she was glad he did.

"Do you swear you are taking these exams of your own free will withnow outside help or inside information?" the same dour man said.

"I swear." she said. He pushed a magical contract towards her and shepicked up a quill and signed her name. The contract glowed for amoment and the curled up and sealed its self with a wax seal bearingthe Ministry Crest. The witch to his right took the scroll and placedit an out box where it disappeared. Hermione found this allfascinating. She was an expert in most magical fields but it was theevery day tasks that still interested her because she'd grown upmuggle, after all.

"You will take eight exams: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Historyof Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, Arithmancy, andDefense against the Dark Arts. Each test will be one hour in lengthwith the exception of potions which will be 75 minutes to allow forbrewing. You will have a 10 minute break between each exam, 30 minutesfor lunch. A different wizard will proctor each exam. Do you have anyquestions?" he asked, dryly. Overwhelmed as she was, she shook herhead. "Excellent. Which exam would you prefer to start with, MissGranger?"

"Potions, I suppose." she said, wanting to get the longest one out of the way.

"Very well then." this was Snape who stood and walked to a table infront of her where a cauldron had appeared. "I shall be in charge ofthis exam." She'd been wondering why there were only seven wizards andeight exams. She was relieved and scared all at once. She knew thatSeverus would not be unfair to her but would be as hard on her as anyother student. She nodded.

"I'm ready." She assured the panel. The potion he assigned her, shesaw with horror, was one she'd never brewed before. They'd brewed itin class after she'd stopped attending. Of course she'd read the notesbut she lacked the actual experience! She forced herself to calm down.Brewing was brewing and panic had no place in a potions lab. In frontof her were all her ingredients measured out. All she had to do wascut them or pulverize them correctly and remember what order they wentinto and at what time in the brewing process. It seemed like a lot butshe did have a somewhat photographic memory. She surveyed theingredients. Mandrake root went into the base of water first andalways was cut into fine slivers. She set about doing that. The firstthree ingredients went in together and then there was aŠ a ten minutepause. The ingredients needed to seep before theŠ shoot, what was it?The dragon scales! It had to seep before the dragon scales went in.Then it all flooded back, the precise type font of the notes from thecharmed quill in emerald green ink. She remembered. She would be fine.

By lunch she was already exhausted. Snape had neither praised norcondemned her potion when she'd handed him the final product in asealed flask. He mere pocketed it and sat back down. She was allowedto sit quietly for ten minutes while the next test, care of magicalcreatures, was prepared. And so it went. They all filed out and lefther alone for her lunch, even Snape. They provided her with a sandwichand a bowl of soup and a mug of Pumpkin juice. It was obviouslygovernment food ­ a concept that didn't change with either world. Sheate it without complaint for she'd skipped breakfast and was famished.She did, however, appreciate Hogwarts food just a bit more. She'd cometo the school a knobby eleven year old who'd always forgotten to eatin lieu of homework or reading. Regular meals had done her a world ofgood. Not that her parents hadn't fed her but they weren't unlike herdaughter. The quest for knowledge often did not involve nutritiousmeals.

She'd saved transfiguration for last. She'd figured by the end of theday she'd be exhausted (the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests wereaptly named) and she wanted to be able to know the subject backwardsand forwards. The dour wizard from the morning was to proctor theexam. Before it started, he looked over the rim of his squarespectacles at her.

"Professor Snape informs me you've been teaching this subject atHogwarts?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." she said. She wanted to add it was the reason she wastaking these bloody awful exams early in the first place but she kepther mouth closed.

"That's highly unorthodox, don't you believe?" he asked.

"Perhaps, but I have full faith in Headmaster Dumbledore." she said,which was the truth.

"Very well," the man said, grumbled really, and then, an hour later,she was done and Snape was quickly ushering he out of the exam room.She didn't know what to say. She felt a little shell-shocked. The dourwizard had pronounced her done and then all the wizards had stood andSnape was pushing her by her shoulders out of the room. The halls ofthe ministry were mostly empty ­ it was a weekend and getting late ­and Snape said nothing until they were in the apparition room.

"Would you rather return to the castle or continue with our mealplans?" he asked, looking at her.

"IŠ I'm notŠ I don'tŠ" she tried to speak but was so tired. She washungry, too and he was looking at her with an almost amusedexpression.

"Dare I say you're speechless? An event I never dreamed would occur."he said. "I shall try to simplify the question for you. Food orsleep?"

"Food." she said, still having enough wits to glare at him. He tookher hand again.

"Diagon Alley." he told her and she nodded. They disapparated.

She quite expected him to lead them to the Leaky Cauldron but hedidn't. "Take off your school robes." he said, undoing his outer robesso he was left in his slacks and vest. She obliged.

"You want to eat in Muggle London?" she asked.

"I thought we would be less noticed there." he said. He took her robesand draped them casually over one arm. They were just fabric, nothingremotely interesting or peculiar that way. They moved out of the alleyand into the near summer nightlife of London. She felt at home, oddly,among non-wizarding people even with Severus at her side. "I figuredwe'd just stumble upon something." he admitted.

"On a Saturday night? Severus." she reprimanded lightly, revitalizedby the change in scenery. "There's a nice Italian restaurant aroundthe corner. My parents and I usually eat there after they pick me upfrom the express." she explained. She led the way, Severus keeping hishand on her back as not to lose her. "You have muggle money, don'tyou?" she asked, as an after thought. "All I have is wizard."

"I thought ahead, Miss Granger, yes." he said, slipping into ProfessorMode at the insult to his intelligence.

"Sorry." she said, though she wasn't, really. He looked like he knew.They entered the restaurant and were told by an acne faced boy itwould be about fifteen minutes. Severus looked a little miffed at thewaiting.

"Why can't they just expand the restaurant ­ add more tables?" heasked. She looked at him.

"Muggles wait." she said, pointing to a stone bench just outside thedoor. He sat down. It was a beautiful London evening. It was nearlyJune and spring was in full force. There were flowers everywhere andthe air smelled clean and sweet. She wasn't even cold without herschool robes which Severus had laid across the stone bench before shesat so her bare thighs wouldn't be cold against the porous stone. Sheclosed her eyes against the glare of the setting sun. She'd spent asummer in the states once, with her mother's sister and a cousinthat'd been about her age. It was a few years before Hogwarts andshe'd liked America except for how quickly it got dark. Summertwilights were supposed to linger for hours ­ they always had. Nineo'clock was not dark at home and she'd missed the way the sun setalways lulled her to sleep. Now, she let what was left of the sunlinger on her skin while she waited for their name to be called.

"You did very well today." His soft voice lulled her out of hernostalgic reverie.

"I thought I was weak in magical creatures and I'd never brewed yourpotion before and my star charts were sloppy at best." she said.

"Your potion was fine." he said. This was high praise from him. Shemoved her hand so that their fingers brushed slightly. Even in asociety where no one knew he was her professor, she was still ateenage girl in a school uniform and he was still a man pushing forty.They would never be just right together. She pushed the thought away."Though you were right about Magical Creatures. Not your strongestsuit."

"I love Hagrid butŠ" she shook her head. "Did they tell you when theresults will come in?"

"Tomorrow morning." he said and her eyes snapped open.

"So soon?" she asked. "It takes all summer, usually."

"Only one to grade." he said and she nodded.

"Then what will happen?" she asked.

"I suggest you demand that Albus start paying you for your services."he said and she laughed.

"I just might do that." she said, and her tinkling laughter made himsmile as well. Hermione's name was called over the speaker (she'dexplained that Severus wasn't a normal muggle name) and they were ledto a small table where they enjoyed a small meal and Hermione spentthe better part of the evening slipping her foot out of her shoe andrunning her toes up and down his leg.

Soon enough, though, it was time to return to the school. They madetheir way sullenly back to Diagon Alley. "I wish we could stay awayfor a while. My break from school wasn't very relaxing." she said, ashe tapped his wand across the pattern of bricks that opened the portalback to the wizarding world.

"Perhaps in the summer we can go away." he said. She looked at him.

"Will you still be around in the summer?" she asked, though she didn'tmean him specifically, but him wanting to be part of her life.

"Will you?" he countered. "I think we need to have a real discussionabout this before we return." he said. They'd flirted all throughdinner but now, outside of the cover of the muggle world, reality wasreasserting itself. He steered her away from their originaldestination, the Leaky Cauldron, and too a small park she'd notnoticed before, just behind Gringott's. There was a playground as wellas a patch of grass but it was late and the park was mostly deserted.They sat down on a bench. "Try to remain impassive." he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean this can't look like a lover's quarrel." he said.

"Are we going to have a row?" she asked, angry and sad at once.Fighting with professor Snape was nothing new, but they'd yet toreally have it out since becoming, as he said, lovers.

"I want you to know that I do not routinely sleep with my students." he said.

"Nor I with my professors." she said.

"What I mean isŠ I don't routinely sleep with anyone, Hermione. You'rethe first one inŠ years, I'd say, that I've wanted anything to dowith." She could see what he was trying to do. He was trying to tellher that she was important to him in his own garbled way. "I wouldlike for that feeling to continue."

She wanted to reach out and hug him but she knew she couldn't so shewould have to choose her words wisely. Words, she knew, were the mostpowerful tool she had. She'd always been a good writer but generallyset fiction aside for academia. Now, she wanted to speak poetry to himbut she knew that life rarely turned out like poetry.

"Severus, I'm not going anywhere. Going away, I've learned, in thisworld isn't like going away in the muggle world. It takes time totravel when you're a muggle. There is a whole subculture of humorpertaining only to long, family car rides." she said. He looked at herblankly. "See? You have no idea what I'm even talking about. What Imean is, anywhere I go I can always floo or apparate back to you atthe end of the night."

"No one will ever accept you and me together." he said, drearily.

"I think you ought to give people more credit." she said. He saidnothing, but looked at her almost fondly in his own way. "So,Professor, did we just decide to try and make a go of it? To tell allobstacles to piss off and start an actual relationship?" she said in ateasing tone.

"Language, Miss Granger." he said, standing.

"Oh, bugger off you wanker." she said merrily and they apparated backto the gates of Hogwarts.

He saw her to her rooms and bid her a pleasant good night. Harry andRon, who'd been waiting for her outside the portrait of the ballerina,stared after him with open jaws.

"That wasŠ did Snape actually say something nice?" Harry asked,looking at Hermione who wished they'd just go away so she could take abath and go to sleep (or at least toss and turn in peace worryingabout her impending exam scores).

"Snape was most companionable today." Hermione said, climbing throughher portrait. They followed, uninvited. She shucked off her robes andfound a hair elastic to tie up her hair with into a knot on the top ofher head.

"I doubt that." Ron said, snorting.

"I don't want to argue about this." she snapped. "And my horrifyingexams were fine, thank you for asking." she said.

"Oy, sorry Hermione." Harry said, elbowing Ron who was about to snapsomething back. They'd never gotten over their constant bickering."When do you find out results?"

"In the morning." she said.

"Then you won't be a student anymore?" Ron asked, absentmindedlyrubbing his ribs. "That will be strange."

"I've not been to classes in months." she reminded him, undoing hertie and kicking off her shoes and socks. "Not to mention teaching yourclass and grading your papers. You do a lot less well when I don'thelp." she said.

"You're telling us." Harry said. "I think what Ron meant wasŠ you'llbe a full professor. You'll probably not even sit with us at meals orcome in our common room orŠ" He faded off. "You were always yearsahead of us anyway." He sounded resigned and neither Ron nor Hermionehad a response. Hermione had always been more mature but Harry wasahead as well. RonŠ well Ron was taller then the both of them, atleast.

"I don't know what's going to happen." she said and it was the truth.Just a few days ago she'd had no idea she'd be taking her exams andnow here she was finished with those and waiting impatiently in thelimbo of her displacement. Her affair with Severus was just anotherstraw placed precariously on the camel's back. She was suddenly tooexhausted for words. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."she said, pointing at the door. They nodded and slipped out of herpresence. She finished stripping and took a quick shower instead ofthe hot bath she'd planned. She dried her hair with a charm, slippedon her summer nightgown, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

She woke up early. It was Sunday so she once again had no classes toteach. Part of her wanted to go find Dumbledore right now and demandto know what he planned to do with her but the logical side knewnothing would change until her scores arrived. She dressed in jeansand a sweatshirt ­ she felt like being comfortable in her endless wait­ and sat in her sitting room trying to read until it was time forbreakfast and the owl post. She was one of the first in the Great Halland she sat nervously at one of the end seats of the Gryffindor table;the end closest to the long staff table. She wanted answers as soon asshe received her marks, even if that meant leaning over Dumbledore'sbreakfast to get them. Slowly, students came in and sat down. Shewasn't hungry in the slightest but piled her plate with food when itappeared in front of her. Harry and Ron knew better than to talk toher when she was that fidgety and when her mouth was set in such athin, straight line.

Most of the school didn't know that Hermione ­ Professor H as theRavenclaws and Hufflepuffs had taken to calling her in jest and out ofrespect ­ had taken her tests and was waiting impatiently for theresults. She glanced up to the staff table. Dumbledore was enjoyinghis pile of fluffy eggs with a somewhat alarming vigor for a man ofhis stature. Snape who rarely came to breakfast (especially onSundays) was not there. This frustrated her for some reason.

Then it was there. The screech of owls. She promptly climbed up on tothe bench and leapt up to grab the envelope the moment it left thebarn owl's talons. People where watching her make a spectacle ofherself but she cared little. She tore open the ministry envelope andread the results standing with her foot half on Neville's toast.

"Well, girl, don't make us wait." Dumbledore called gaily out into thehushed murmur that the Great Hall had become. "Read it out!"

"Potions: 99. Transfiguration: 100. Charms: 100. History of Magic: 98.Care of Magical Creatures: 96. Astronomy: 100. Arithmancy: 100.Defense against the Dark Arts: 100." she read out into the now silenthall. She looked up in awe at the head table who was staring at herwith mouths full of food half open. And then Harry was clapping andthe staff was clapping and the Gryffindors were screaming and stompingtheir feet and then the whole school ­ save a few surly Slytherins ­were applauding and watching her with envy.

"Well done." Dumbledore was yelling. "Run and tell Minerva. Go on!" hesaid, pointing out of the hall and she laughed and nodded and left theclamor with her results in her hot little hand. She'd done amazinglywell. To score perfect scores on five out of eight was unheard of andher lowest score was a 96. She couldn't think straight. She nearlyscreamed "Poinsettia" and calmed herself before she went intoMcGonagall's room. The old lady was in bed with Severus at her sideand they were talking quietly but stopped when they saw Hermionestanding there grinning stupidly flushed and sweating from running upseveral flights of stairs.

"They came." she said, grinning. Snape stood and snatched the resultsfrom her hand and read them over quickly.

"My heavens." he said. "Hermione, this isŠ" there were not words."Minerva." he said and handed her the now rather rumpled test results.

"Miss Granger this isŠ these areŠ she beat YOU, Severus!" McGonagallsaid laughing. "By three points!"Severus reached for Hermione and picked her up and spun her around afew times before crushing her into a hug, Minerva be damned. Shecouldn't help but laugh as the room spun; the only constant beingSnape's genuinely happy face just centimeters away from hers. Finally,he set her down and she hung onto his arm for a moment while sherighted herself. McGonagall watched without expression but wisely saidnothing.

"You can do whatever you want." he said, looking down at her. "Withthese scores you could rule the world."

"One step at a time now." she said. "What happens next?"

"You finish the year." McGonagall said.

"I don't have to continue classes?" she asked.

"No." McGonagall said. "I should think not. Professor Snape and I werejust discussing your options." she admitted. "I've decided not toreturn to Hogwarts and I will move out of the castle as soon as I amable." The happy mood faltered a bit.

"I'll miss you very much." Hermione said and the elderly woman smiled at her.

"And I, you." she said. "Though I cannot speak for HeadmasterDumbledore, I assume you can stay on here for at least next term whileyou decide what you want to do." Hermione nodded, glancing coyly atSnape.

"I would like that." she said.

The rest of term ­ only four weeks before the rest of the studentstook NEWTs and end of year exams ­ flew by quickly with the lightenedwork load. She took a great joy in teaching that she hadn't beforewith all the stress. She thought she might have to proctor the examsshe herself had just passed but none of the Hogwarts did in fear offavoritism. She spent the week of NEWTs down in the dungeons withSeverus, sharing meals and catching up on lost time.

The first day they'd stayed apart, still unsure of the rules. But whenhe didn't go to dinner, she wandered down to find him and he was inhis office eating biscuits and drinking lukewarm tea.

"I brought you a plate." she said, shyly, knocking on the slightlyajar office door. He was grading, of course, something she needed tofinish but was waiting until the morning when everyone was busy. Helooked up.

"How thoughtful." he said, motioning her inside. "Put a warming charmon it, perhaps I'll eat it later."

"All right. I just wanted to check on you." she said, setting theplate down and heading for the door, disappointed.

"Stay." he said and she paused. "I don't have toŠ we could goŠ" hesaid, glancing towards the door the led to his chambers.

"Okay." she said. Because, Merlin, they had been so good. They hadbeen polite and respectful of personal space even when alone. Nowshe'd passed her tests that made her of age in any sense of the word.In fact, she'd sat at the staff table tonight for the first time eventhough the seat next to her had been conspicuously empty. The food wasforgotten. The grading ceased to exist. He was already pulling off herclothes before he'd locked all the doors and pushed her down onto thesofa. He wove her hands into his hair and shuddered lightly as hecaught her neck in his teeth and sucked slowly. She would have a markthere. She would have several marks. He loved to mark her ­ as if toleave physical evidence of his presence there.

"You're mine." he growled into her neck. She whimpered and tore at hisclothes. He whispered a spell and suddenly the clothes were gone andshe thought vaguely that she would have to learn that spell but thenhe was there between her legs and she was arching up from the coolleather of the couch and he was above her bobbing up and down and whenshe came she saw colors that didn't have any names.

It didn't last. It couldn't. By Thursday morning, Hermione wasfrantically waiting for the other shoe to drop. To pass with such goodscores and to have Severus without being caught? She was having hercake and eating it too. If Snape noticed her nerves, he said nothing.He was enjoying their stolen week together just as much she was. She'dbeen hiding, that much was obvious. She hid in Snape's chambers ­refusing to go to meals or even sleep in her own bed. It was risky tospend the night with him but worth it.

She liked the way he buried his nose into her shoulder while he slept;how he curled is long frame around her instead of her trying to fitagainst him. He always had an arm or a leg draped over her and hemuttered her name in his dreams. He was comfortable having her in hisspace. So during the day, she feigned headaches and laid in his bedand read books, willing the summer to assert itself properly. She'dbeen sending the obligatory owls to her parents since this wholeordeal begun (leaving out Snape, of course) and so they were notsurprised when she sent them a letter telling them she would notreturn home for the summer. The students would leave, boarding thetrain gleeful for a vacation. Some would be back in the fall. Harryand Ron, however, wouldn't be back. This made her sad but she pushedthe feelings down.

Severus had gone to town for the day on Friday morning. It was thelast day of exams and in the morning was graduation for the seventhyears. She would walk across the stage with her classmates, it wasdecided. Tonight, after dinner she would have to brave the rest of thecastle to go to graduation practice. She felt a little sad her parentscouldn't come to the ceremony but they were just so muggleŠ everyoneagreed it was easiest not to invite the parents of the muggle born.But the Weasleys would be there and they were like family to her. AndSeverus would be there, watching her from the staff seating. Then thestudents would leave and she'd be officially a member of the staff.She would move her things from the Head Girl room to the staffquarters ­ to McGonagall's quarters as soon as she was out of them andback to her family home in Aberdeen. She would watch the first yearsbe sorted from the staff table and she would have to grin and bearGinny Weasley calling her Professor properly.

She was musing on this when the warm orange flames in the fire placesparked green and Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames. There wasno where to hide.

"Severus, there's been an accident in the Slytherin common roomŠ" Theystared at each other. Dumbledore just head and her sitting crosslegged on Snape's bed in nothing but a pair of knickers and a tanktop. "Miss Granger?"

"Headmaster." she said, quietly. "Professor Snape is out this morning."

"I see. Perhaps you ought to come to my office once you're decent?" he asked.

"Of course." she said, fighting the urge to pull the comforter overher. His head popped sternly from the fireplace and she didn't move.She stared at the walls and then the horrid condition her cuticleswere in. She bit at them absentmindedly and had a sip of tea. Sheclosed the book she was reading and crawled out of bed to stand in themiddle of the chilled room. She burst into tears.

It was over. She would lose Severus, her degree from Hogwarts, and herteaching position. Forcing herself to calm down, she wiped her eyesand started putting on her clothes. She didn't want to keep theheadmaster waiting but she found he was not in his office. She had towait outside the Gargoyle for almost 20 minutes pacing and thinking ofscenarios ­ each more horrid than the last. She was imagining herselfat the mercy of dementors at Azkaban when he finally showed up.

"Sorry to keep you, I had to deal with the student myself sinceSeverus was absent." he said, ushering her onto the stairs whichrecognized him without a password. Into the office they rose. Neitherspoke while he sat behind his expansive desk and she declined to takea seat at all. "Well." he said finally. "Imagine my surprise."

"Headmaster, I know there is no excuse." she said, hanging her head."I could try to come up with something but I'm a dreadful liar."

"I appreciate honesty, Miss Granger. Perhaps this is my fault." heoffered her a dish of candy and she shook her head. She already feltas if she might vomit. "I just kept handing you privilege afterprivilege. You should have never had fulfill Minerva's role aseducator before you'd finished an education of your own. You were justso good at it."

"I adore teaching, I do. I've never been happier." she said. "Iunderstand if you cannot continue toŠ I understand if I can'tŠ" shedidn't know how to say it. "I'll pack my things."

"Was it Severus?" he asked.

"What?" She asked, surprised.

"Did he force you in any way?"

"Absolutely not." she said, suddenly angry at the accusations to hischaracter. "I would have thought you of all people would know his truecolors. I resent the accusation." she said, hotly.

"And I find it unfortunate that I had to ask," he said. "I was just checking."

"Severus is a good man." she said. "I know that itŠ We broke rules, weknew that going in. I expect you to take away the job but please don'tpunish him. He's actually happy and relaxed for the first time inŠ inever, I believe." she shrugged.

"I know he is a good man. This is not the first time in the history ofthe world, of schools, of this school even, that this has happenedMiss Granger. I just never thought I would have to watch Severus." hesighed, shaking his head. "Or you. You both are so much the same."

"You can take my job. You can take my diploma ­ I don't need it. Ihave job offers coming in daily with my scores. I also have faith thatSeverus will take my side in this matter but if he doesn't, if youexpel me or fire me or whatever and he denies any association, I stillwon't regret being with him." she said, defiantly.

"No one is being expelled. I'd like to talk to Severus before I makeany decisions. When you see him, tell him to come to my office, wouldyou?" he asked, tiredly.

"That's it?" she asked.

"For now." he said. "Try to stay out of trouble on the way to yourdorm if you can help it."

"Yes, sir." she said and left the office in a huff. She'd never beenso forthright with the headmaster ­ nearly rude ­ but she no longerfelt like a child and no one at the castle treated her as a childanymore and she didn't appreciate Dumbledore back tracking now. Shewas to graduate in the morningŠ she couldn't have kept the secret for24 more hours? She was disgusted with herself. She climbed through herportrait who looked at her as if Hermione had abandoned her and openedgrudgingly. She surveyed the room ­ just as she'd left it. The bedmade and her clothes hung neatly in the closet. Whether she was movingrooms or moving out she'd need to pack so she started taking herclothes off the hangers and folding them. It took her a long time torealize she'd started crying again.

She went to dinner. She'd been sitting at the staff table but didn'tthink she belonged there at the moment and so she sat down next to Ronand Harry who looked at her, pleased.

"Decided to grace us with your presence, eh Hermy?" Ron asked, adrumstick in each hand.

"I figured it was our last meal as students together." she said. "Iwanted to share it with you guys." She willed herself to eat andlisten to her friends fret over their NEWT scores. She did not want tolook up at the staff table and see Dumbledore's untrusting gaze or tosee her empty place or to see if Snape had come back yet and if so,did he know? She would be able to tell just by looking at him, she wascertain. Finally, she could not stand it and turned her head.Dumbledore was deep into conversation with Professor Sinestra andSnape was sitting at the opposite end of the table, her empty seateffectively quarantining he him from the rest of the staff. He lookedstiff and discolored. He wasn't eating or drinking or looking up. Heknew. She suddenly felt dizzy.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked, reaching across the table to touch her arm."Everything okay?"

"I think I just need some air." she said, standing abruptly andfleeing the Great Hall, her fellow Gryffindors staring after her. Sheburst out the doors on to the front lawns, gulping air. Why was she soscared? She knew why. She had feigned indifference to Dumbledore. Shehad pretended that she didn't care that he knew because silly rulesand age differences wouldn't matter in the longer scheme of things.Snape wanted her and perhaps ­ she hoped ­ loved her and that would bethe thing that made them rise above. Part of her didn't even have topretend because she believed. Inside, Snape didn't look as if hebelieved. He looked as if he'd done something awful and there was noway to extract him self from the situation without pain. She realizedat once that she was a fool. Dumbledore would probably let hergraduate; it seemed a silly thing to take away. But she would not getto keep her job and he would. He would not take her side. She would bequietly swept under the rug. No one had to know. Nothing would change.

She sat abruptly on the grass and was there for a while until thedoors opened to let a sliver of light out. Someone was coming to fetchher. She hoped it was not the headmaster or Snape. She hoped it wasVoldemort coming to kill her. She wished she had a time turner thatwas powerful enough to go back to the beginning of the year so shecould fix this mess. The one she wore around her neck was not morethan a day and it was too late to fix anything. She felt a hand on hershoulder.

"Hermione?" It was Harry and she realized that she'd missed him. She'dnot spent time with him, really, since taking over transfiguration.

"Hi, Harry." she said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, carefully sitting next toher. The sun had just set and the world was that dusty grey colorwhere everything blended ­ where the world lost its depth. Everythingwas flat if just for a moment until true darkness set it. She lookedto the sky where the first few stars were peeking out. She made afierce wish.

"I'm sorry I've been away." she said. "I thought our last yeartogether would be funŠ I thought we would actually be together." shesaid. "Harry I did something that may make you hate me."

"I doubt that. You could break my wand and I wouldn't hate you. Youcould purposefully make me lose the house cup quidditch game. Youcould marry professor Snape and I probably wouldn'tŠ oh my god,Hermione, what'sŠ your faceŠ what did I say?" he asked.

"I'm having an affair with Snape." she gasped. "SinceŠ sinceChristmas!" She buried her face in his shoulder, then. He held her andrubbed his hand along her spine.

"Well, that's unexpected but I did just say that I'd still like youand I do." he said. "And while shagging Snape would make me cry,somehow I think there's more."

"Dumbledore found out." Harry cringed.

"What did he say?"

"He's talking to Severus before he makes any decisions." she wailed.

"Hermione, you're the best witch to come to this school sinceŠforever, I'd reckon. Dumbledore needs you too much to sack you." hesaid. "Let's go inside, go to the common room for the last time, playsome exploding snap and just be children for a few hours more, howdoes that sound?"

"Oh Harry, I love you." she said, nodding. Together, they walked intothe castle arm in arm, best friends until the end.

Severus, upon returning to the castle, was most perplexed to find notHermione sitting on his couch in the sitting room, but Albus.

"Breaking and entering a new hobby of yours?" He asked, dryly, settinghis shopping bags down at the door and moving to pour them both a harddrink.

"Severus, you should have told me." he said, accepting the warm, amberliquid and taking a small sip. Albus only ever drank with Severus ­ hedidn't like to lose control.

"Told you what, old man, I'm tired." he asked, sitting next to theelderly wizard and putting his highly polished boots up onto thecoffee table where they reflected the fire light.

"About Hermione." he said and Snape's hand halted halfway to hismouth, the crystal glass suddenly to heavy and slipping from hisgrasp, spilling scotch across his lap. He swore and cleaned it upquickly, setting the glass down on the table where his feet had beenwith thump. In the morning, he would see the fracture through out thebase of the expensive glass, so deep and minute that the glass wouldhave to be throw away for even magic couldn't repair it wholly. "Howdid this happen?"

"You made it okay, don't you see?" Snape whispered, sullen like achild. "You put her on a pedestal, you made her accessible! You madeher one of us. She was never like them; she was smarter and had bettermanners and she had the class of a Slytherin even if her blood kepther from my house."

"She was a student, your student, and technically she still is." he pointed out.

"For mere hours more." Snape argued. "She'd taken over Minerva'sclasses completely before we even, before I found her." he amended,thinking of that night in the tower. There was she hunched over theessays, he hair aglow from the candle light. How she hummed softlywhile she worked, songs he didn't know. She knew muggle music and he'dgrown up on ancient wizard folk songs but she had a favorite tune tohum and to even think about the simple melody made him warm; made thesmell of her leap from his memory, wherever he was.

"I don't know what to do about this. I cannot condone such blatantdisregard for school policy from my head girl and a staff member butthe extraordinary conditions allow for some leeway." Dumbledoreshrugged. "I suppose if you answer this question, I'll be able to makea fair decision."

"Then ask." Snape said, hoping that he would keep his job and hopingshe would get to start hers.

"Was it just sex or do you truly love her?" Dumbledore asked. Snapeknew better then to lie and he knew better then to answer right away.He could not lie to himself ­ he was attracted to Hermione. She wasdifferent then any of the women he was expected to marry. She was notpureblood, not even half and half so her gene pool was much moreexpansive. Slytherins all tended to look more or less the same. Tall,pale skin ­ no matter dark or light hair. They had high cheek bonesand slender noses. They were aristocrats and they intermarried toassure themselves that their status would never be taken away.Hermione, on the other hand, was so small compared to him. She barelyreached his shoulders and she was not tall and lanky but all hips andbreasts. She was voluptuous. Her hair was not thin and straight butthick and curly. She had big, chocolate eyes and pouting lips.

She also could hold the most stimulating conversations for hours. Shecould solve any problem he set before her. She could beat him inchess. She appreciated his humor and cracked jokes of her own. She wasloyal to him and to her rotten friends. She was brave, even asobnoxious as bravery could be. She was gentle with him, and kind. Shewas a perfectionist.

"I love her very much." he said, looking at the older wizard who couldsee the epiphany on his face. "I think I would follow her to the endsof the earth."

"Well, then she stays." he nodded. "She will graduate. She will startteaching in the fall. People will talk but you've never cared forpeople."

"No."

"I'm glad you're happy, my boy." Dumbledore said. "Just be careful.Hermione has a lot of people who love her who aren't afraid to hexyour face right off your head."

"I'm one of them." Snape assured her. "May I go tell her?"

"I suppose you can. Though I'd appreciate if her last night as astudent was spent in her own dormitory."

"Yes, Sir." Snape said and escorted the old man out of the dungeonsand made his way to Gryffindor tower. He wished fiercely for aninvisibility cloak of his own and loathed Potter just a bit more. Nowthat Dumbledore knew he felt like the world knew and glared at anyonewho dared look him in the eye. He knew it was silly, he trustedDumbledore's confidence in this matter and he felt as though he couldtrust Hermione's discretion (but he had a niggling little feeling inthe back of his mind that Potter probably already knew or would knowsoon but he batted it away). Still it was an uncommon time for him tobe seen prowling the corridors and the higher he rose ­ the closer toGryffindor tower he got, more and more people wondered what he wasdoing ­ where he was headed.

Finally, in a blessedly empty hallway, he came to the Head Girlportrait and snapped the password ("Alchemy" one may remember) and theportrait swung open begrudgingly. She was not inside. He did notexpect that she would not be inside. He expected her to be packing,perhaps (but that task was complete) or possibly wallowing in her owntears, thrashing about on the bed but to be gone threw him for a loop.He sat uncertainly on the very edge of the bed. He'd not been in sincethat first night carrying her back and then it had been dark. It was apleasant room if overly pastel but it was devoid of any character forshe had packed all her things. If he listened, he could hear laughterthrough a wooden door which must have lead to her common room. Ofcourse there would be celebrations tonight. He felt a little sillythinking she would waste her last night of fun moping about him and hestood to go but the door swung open rather unexpectedly and there shewas, traipsing into the room up a flight of narrow stairs laughing(not giggling for Hermione had told him last Tuesday that she abhorredgiggles now that she was an adult and was determined to break herselfof the immature habit) at some joke and he could hear another pair offeet behind her. He turned to face her and her companion deeminghimself too dignified to flee.

"Professor!" she exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder at GinnyWeasley and ­ lo ­ a third Gryffindor femme, who looked to be a rathertipsy Lavender Brown. Swell. He squared his shoulders and he could seethe mirth leave her expression and her features schooled themselvesinto neutrality. "Did you wish to speak to me?"

"Yes, Miss Granger, I'm sorry for the intrusion, I expected you to bein." he said, just as formally, their clipped speaking manner stillhabit in front of others. Ginny was watching the situation with thesame amount of interest as one watches a train derail and Lavender wasswaying a bit and then widened her eyes and bolted for the bathroomwhere she could be heard retching. It was most unpleasant for allinvolved.

"Well, I'll just go check on her." Ginny said, the only Weasley (saveher mother) who'd ever been able to read a room. Hermione gave her agrateful smile.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have invited them up." she said. "Let's go tothe sitting room." she offered, looking at the bathroom. He nodded andthey slunk out of the room. He didn't sit but began pacing while sheoffered to call for tea which he refused.

"I spoke with Albus." he said, in a hushed tone. They were bothlistening for Ginny or Lavender.

"I suspected." she said, feeling suddenly nauseous herself.

"You will graduate in the morning, receive your diploma." he assuredher and she relaxed only slightly.

"And then leave." she supplied regretfully.

"Only if you wish." he said.

"I can stay on?" she asked, not at all quietly. He nodded.

"You can stay, Professor." he said. She grinned and threw herself athim. He'd gotten used to her surprise hug attacks and had alreadyopened his arms in anticipation. He'd missed her all day and had beenso scared that he'd not get to hold her again after Dumbledore andtold him that he knew. But now he buried his nose in her hair andtightened the pads of his fingers against her shoulder blades whileshe breathed deeply with relief. She soon stepped back and looked athim still glowing.

"Thank you for telling me." she said. "There is so much I want to talkabout right now but it's the last night and I'm expected back at theparty." she said.

"Of course. We'll talk tomorrow. After the ceremony." he said."Goodnight, love." he whispered and she nodded.

"Goodnight, Severus." she said. He let himself out of the portrait andshe stared wistfully at the space he'd occupied for a few moments. "Iknow you're there." she called finally and Ginny Weasley stepped outfrom behind the mostly closed bedroom door sheepishly. "How much didyou hear?" Hermione demanded.

"Well, Lavender passed out right around him calling your professor."she said. "I didn't mean to listen butŠ you're sleeping Snape!" Ginnysaid. "I am shocked! I demand to know every detail right now or I willhex you, so help me Merlin, I will." Hermione rolled her eyes, alreadyseeing it was going to be a long night.

"I don't have to tell you anything. In a few hours I will be yourProfessor and for every hex you fling at me I'll take away 50 housepoints." she said but Ginny could tell she was teasing.

"Well, am I the first to know?" Ginny asked, knowing when to back downfrom Hermione. She also knew Hermione would tell her eventually andshe just had to be patient.

"No. Dumbledore found out this morning and I told Harry at dinner.Please, please keep it a secret." she whispered. "Please."

Ginny looked at her thoughtfully. She'd never sleep with Snape. Shehated Snape. It was Weasley tradition. She found him foul and crueland though he was less greasy now, he was still far, far from hertype. And yet, she'd just seen (through a crack in the bedroom doorusing the extendable ears she'd had in her pocket) a side of Snapethat she would have swore never existed. He'd hugged her with suchgentleness; he'd called her 'love'. He'd looked happy. It'd taken awhile for her to recognize the expression of happiness on his face butonce she did, she knew she could never see him the same way again justas she knew now that she wouldn't betray Hermione.

"Of course." Ginny promised. "Shall we put Lavender to bed then?"

"I don't know ­ a night on the bathroom floor might do her some good."Hermione said, relaxing. They went back to the party, deciding toleave Lavender where she lay. The whole room greeted them cheerfully,the seventh years all roaring like lions, as was tradition. She roaredback but she could not help but think about Severus for the rest ofthe night. Once she was an adult, a professor, they would have to hidetheir relationship less and less. Would it still be the same with outthe passion that their secret brought out? If it wasn't clandestine,would she still love him? She could feel Harry's eyes on her allnight, burning to know what had happened ­ why'd they'd spent so longin her room (and where'd Lavender go?) but she shook him off and whenno one was looking, she crept out of the tower and made her waysilently to the dungeons, intending to see him one last time while itwas still forbidden.

Graduation seemed to pass in a blur. There was a crowd of parents andstudents and Hermione had to charm her cone hat to stay on her head asher hair was really too large to allow her to be a hat person. Afterthe diplomas were handed out, everyone was ushered into the great hallwhere there was a buffet and then people began to leave in shifts.There were three trips of the Hogwarts express ­ the first leavingright after the ceremony, one a few hours later, and a late night tripto accommodate everyone. Harry and Ron decided to leave on the lasttrain as Hermione wasn't leaving at all. They spent the day on thegrounds, walking around the lake and sitting in the desertedGryffindor stands at the Quidditch pitch. He and Ron were bothapplying for Auror school for the fall but Harry had told her secretlythat he'd gotten a few offers to join league Quidditch teams.

They made plans to see each other ­ Hermione promised to come toLondon and to the burrow for weekend visits and they promised to cometo Hogwarts to make sure she was settling in. It seemed strange tohave to re-settle into a place that had been her home for nearly adecade. Finally, it was time for them to go and all three hugged andcried and feeling like a child ­ feeling everything irrevocably changeat just that moment ­ she ran along side the train until the platformran out and then she sat at the station weeping until Severus came andwalked her back to the empty castle.

He didn't tell her she was being immature or silly. He just let hersit next to him on his bed and cry.

"I cried on my last day of Hogwarts, too." he whispered, an intimateconfession. "Change is hard."

"I know." she sniffed. "I'm really happy. It's justŠ" she didn't quiteknow how to articulate it and so she shrugged and wiped her eyes withthe back of her hand and let her bottom lip stick out and tremble abit. He leaned in and kissed it softly.

"Why don't you get ready for bed?" he asked, pointing to the boxershorts and tank top that was on the trunk at the foot of his bed.She's started to leave things in his room ­ night clothes and a toothbrush and a few hair accessories here and there. She nodded andstarted to take off her dress robes and he went into the bathroom. Sheclimbed in bed and pulled the warm comforter miserably up to herquivering chin. When he came back out he'd changed into a pair ofcotton sleeping pants ­ black ­ and nothing else. His hair was downand he had a cool, damp cloth in his hand. He sat next to her on thebed and wiped her cheeks with the cloth and then laid it over hereyes. It felt good on her swollen eyelids and he whispered soothingsounds to her until she fell asleep.

In the morning she felt hung over from crying. Her face felt enormousand puffy and she was still congested. Severus was next to her snoringsoftly. She didn't want to wake him because it was early yet so sheslid out of the warm bed and tiptoed into the bathroom. In the mirror,she looked about as bad as she felt and her reflection gazed backsympathetically. She brushed her teeth, something she'd neglected tothe night before (her parents would have been appalled) and then ran abath in his deep and long claw foot bathtub. She decided against anyof the bath salts that sat along the edge and stripped and sunk intothe clear, hot water. She sat with her knees pressed to her chest. Shewas sad at the loss of her childhood and that she would no longer bein shouting distance of Ron and Harry but she realized that she wascontent. She wasn't worried which was new as well. She'd graduated andDumbledore knew her deep secret. She was naked mere feet away fromSnape but no one was going to burst in and take it all away from her.Things had really worked out for the best. She let the hot water turnher pale skin bright red and she let the steam clear her sinuses.She'd put a warming charm on the water so she could stay in there allday if she wanted and she would never get cold. Her skin might shriveloff but a small price to pay for constant warmth, she thought. Afterabout ten minutes, the bathroom door opened and Snape came in to seewhat she was doing.

"Everything okay?" he asked, giving her the once over. She nodded andgave him a smile. He let his lips twitch into a small smile before hepushed the pants off his hips. "Mind if I join you?" She scootedforward to make room for him and he gingerly stepped into the water."Merlin, Hermione, how do you stand it this hot?" he said throughclenched teeth.

"I hate to be cold." she said and when he got settled, she laid herhead against her chest and he wrapped his arms around her and restedhis chin on her head. "Thank you for taking care of me last night."she said. He didn't reply but squeezed her briefly. At first, thedungeons had depressed her slightly always being so dark when she knewthat outside the sun was brilliantly shining. It made it harder towake up but now she was glad for the darkness because sitting in asteaming bath with Severus in soft candle light was a kind of blissshe'd never known before.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked, after a long silence exceptfor the splashing their slight movements caused and the sounds ofbreathing.

"Move into McGonagall's room." she said. "Though I suppose I'll haveto start calling it my room, now."

"I'll miss her." Snape said, uncharacteristically. "It was hard to seeher leave. Did Dumbledore choose a new head of house?"

"Not yet." she said. He hummed a bit. Dumbledore had asked Severus tobe his new deputy headmaster but he'd not decided if he was going toaccept yet and so he refrained from telling Hermione just yet.

"Most of the staff leaves the castle until at least mid-July." hesaid. "I tend to stay because it's the only time I have to do any realresearch but I was thinking of maybe spending a few weeks in Italy."he said. "If I went do you think I could convince you to come along?"She turned to face him, upsetting a good portion of water over theside of the tub onto the floor.

"You want to go away with me?" she asked.

"I believe we spoke about this once before in Diagon Alley after yourNEWTs." he reminded her. "Don't seem so surprised."

"I thought that once I graduated, that once I was no longer soŠagainst the rules you might lose interest in me. Instead you becomeeven better and invite me to Italy." she said. "Of course I would go.Wild horses, Severus."

"You thought that? Hermione, I love you for you regardless of yoursocial position or age." he said.

"You love me?" she asked. He kept dropping these huge bombs on herlike it was nothing!

"I can't be certain as I've never been in love before but I think thatthis feeling, this fluttering inside me whenever I see you, issomething akin to love." he said. "I understand if you don'treciprocate." he added hastily. She leaned in and kissed him.

"I love you." she said. "When do we leave?"

When they finally made it out of the tub, Hermione left him to his owndevices to start unpacking her things in her new room. Or rooms, as itwere. The house elves had cleaned and moved her luggage to the roomsand Dumbledore had left a note on the table inside telling her thatshe could have her choice of any portrait in the castle that wasn'tcurrently in use and that was large enough to replace the tabby cat.She was pleased about that ­ she loved crookshanks who'd taken up apermanent residence at Grimmauld place ­ but she didn't love cats.There was a beautiful picture of a dancing couple on the third floorthat she'd always admired.

The elves had left everything in the bedroom though it was not much.Clothes and books and a few odds and ends but she'd never had enoughspace for much else. Marginally more once she'd made Head Girl, yes,but even then she'd never bothered wasting money on things she didn'tabsolutely need. She started hanging her clothes in the closet andrealized immediately she would have to go buy more. She had muggleclothes of course ­ a few pairs of jeans and shirts and a coupleskirts and blouses. She had two formal dress robes from the occasionalYule ball or ministry function but those were both rather short in thesleeve now and tight around her hips. Then she had row upon row ofHogwarts uniforms and robes. She had nothing suitable for dailyteaching or for a tryst in Italy. She set out her shoes in a row atthe bottom of the antique cupboard and went about putting the booksinto the empty shelves. She needed at least three more bookcases.There were only two and those only have five shelves each. She wouldadd it to her list of things to give to the elves. Of course shedidn't like asking them to do things but she'd calmed in her maturingand she figured she would be as kind and fair to them as she could beif nothing else.

Eventually she'd gotten all her things situated and the rooms stilllooked empty and impersonal. There were a few things at her parent'shouse she'd bring back but she just didn't have very much to her name.A steady paycheck would change that sure enough. Dumbledore had givenher a summer bonus ­ unusual for a Hogwarts professor but he called itcompensation for her work the previous year and she was certainSeverus had said something.

The room was not her style either. The bed linens were all a dustyrose color and there were floral patterns everywhere. It would taketime changing the colors of everything magically. Part of her wantedto just go to Muggle London and buy fabric and bed clothes and do itthe old fashioned way but she wasn't making that much money. Shestripped the bed and put what was there in the laundry. She would haveit cleaned before she changed it all. She charmed most things to bejust white until she decided what to do with them. It made the roomseem like a hotel room but it also made the room brighter (windowswere something Severus lacked) and she enjoyed the sunlight for awhile. A house elf appeared around noon to tell her that Master Snapehad requested her presence for in his chambers. She gave him her listof things to do and thanked him. She was in jeans and a t-shirt tightt-shirt with Minnie Mouse on but if they were going to be together hewould have to get used to her casual love for the female mouse.

"What is that wretched thing on your shirt?" he asked immediately whenshe entered.

"Her name is Minnie and I love her and true love never dies." sheprotested. "I was informed that my presence was requested."

"It was and here you are." he said, pointing to the food on the table.She sat down and they started to eat quietly. "Did you get your thingsin order?" he asked.

"For the most part. I haven't redecorated yet. Well, I've undecorated,really, if that makes sense." She didn't wait for him to tell her thatit didn't. "I've not yet decided what color scheme I want."

"I find silver and green to work quite well." he said if only to get areaction from her. She scowled.

"If you're going to speak at least be useful." she said.

"My, I'm rubbing off on you." he said. "That was almost hurtful. To alesser being, perhaps."

"I do need a trip to Diagon alley." she said ignoring him andbarreling on in the conversation. "I was thinking of going in themorning if you'd like to come." He considered this for a moment.

"You do realize that it would be our coming out so to speak. Ascontemporaries and companions." he told her.

"If you don't feel comfortable with it, I understand." she said butshe didn't understand, really. She wanted to owl the world, to telleveryone that she'd snagged the unsnagable man, that she'd not onlyfallen in love with Severus Snape but that he loved her back.

"I didn't say that." he said. "People will talk and you ought to beprepared for it."

"I'm a Gryffindor." she said.

"Don't remind me."

She didn't even bother to sleep in her room that night, even after allthe work she'd put into it. She slept ­ a word she used loosely ­ withSeverus as what was quickly becoming the norm. They slept only afterhours of making love. Something was a little different about how hetouched her, she noticed. He wasn't as gentle. It wasn't that he wasrough, exactly, but he was possessive. His hands no longer lingered onher skin but roamed freely. It felt like his mouth and fingers wereeverywhere at once. He picked her up as if she were a rag doll andplaced her on top of him. For someone who was as power hungry as hehad once been, he rather liked being on bottom she mused silently. Butit wasn't that he was submissive. There was something entirely eroticabout seeing Hermione above him, her face twisted with concentrationand pleasure ­ rising and falling and rising again ­ a phoenix in herown right.

They slept late the next morning, showered together, and readiedthemselves for their outing in Diagon Alley.

"Perhaps it won't be crowded." she said. "Monday morning isn't a highshopping time."

"It's hardly morning anymore. And besides, the type of people who willgossip are not the type of people who have to go to work on a Mondaymorning." he chided her. "It is the first day of summer as well.You'll run into your little friends, I imagine."

"Don't be so condescending towards me." she snapped and he looked alittle taken aback. "I'm not your student anymore." she reminded him.

"You're right." he said but did not apologize as it was not his style."Now, you're not wearing that out, are you?" he asked. She rolled hereyes.

They went to Madam Malkin's first so Hermione could get proper robes.The woman quickly took her measurements with a tape measure that shoutright out of the tip of her wand while Severus took a seat preparedfor an hour of sheer boredom. She got a few basics ­ black and purpleand green ­ for teaching with a modest neckline that was floor lengthand had beautiful embroidery on the sleeves that were like bells.Then, splurging, she got a new set of formal robes in red that wereknee length and backless. Severus who'd been quiet grunted approvinglywhen she stepped from the dressing booth. A few more casual robes andthey were done.

"That was painless." she said, allowing him to carry her bags. Hemerely grunted again, heading for the bookstore. She could love a manwho led her to a bookstore without complaining or without her havingto drag him herself. Inside the bookstore Snape immediately recognizedthe blonde hair of Lucius Malfoy. He looked up at them as soon as thebell on the door tinkled and smiled most unattractively.

"Hello, Severus. Doing a little shopping?" he drawled, setting thebook in his hands down carelessly. Severus wanted to shove Hermioneaway behind the nearest bookshelf ­ to hide her not because he wasashamed but because Lucius Malfoy was dangerous. He had always beendangerous even without the backing of the Dark Lord. He'd rapedcountless girls while they were in school together, had beaten boysand had cheated without any showing of conscience. He was ­ simply ­evil. If he decided that he didn't approve of Hermione with Severus,he would not rest until she was disposed of. But Hermione didn't slinkaway or cower in the slightest. She lifted her chin, her mouth set,and stared at him, daring him to say something.

"Yes," Severus said adopting the bored tone he always used withLucius. "I'm surprised you're still in Britain." Lucius generallywhisked Draco and Narcissa off to France for the summer which suitedmost everyone just fine ­ being rid of the Malfoys for a few monthswas pleasant.

"We'll leave in due time." he said and then finally moved his gazedown to Hermione. "Miss your train? Did mommy and daddy forget to comefetch you?" he spat.

"Apparently Draco doesn't tell you everything." she said coolly. "I'vebeen hired as Transfiguration professor full time."

"Dumbledore always did pity you mudbloods." he said.

"That's enough, Lucius." Severus seethed. He'd had enough of this manto last him a few lifetimes.

"Sticking up for her now?" Lucius asked. "Is she your little whore forthe summer?" Hermione's face burned. It was an awful thing to say andshe itched to put her wand to this throat just as she did to his son.

"Not everyone marries whores, Lucius. How is Narcissa, by the way?"Severus asked, bored again. The blond man seemed to grow paler withhis fury.

"Everyone shall know." he said. "You're hardly even a Slytherinanymore." Having enough, Lucius swept out of the bookstore but hismajesty was gone. Hermione slumped next to him, exhausted from theencounter.

"I'm sorry." Severus murmured.

"You were right. It was to be expected." she said.

"Come on. I've had enough of this country. Let's go finish packing andleave early, hmm?" he asked, leading them back into the ally to wherethey could apparate to the gates of Hogwarts.

"Yes." Hermione agreed, but her mind was elsewhere. She didn't wantSeverus to lose his respect in the wizarding community. Lucius Malfoywas not a man to have as an enemy. She was beginning to wonder iftheir being together was hurting him more than helping him. Should shebow out gracefully to save the man she loved even more scorn then he'dalready acquired over the years? She had a lot of thinking to do. Shelet him lead her back to Hogwarts in silence.

Hermione seemed to forget all about her worries when they arrived inItaly. Severus hadn't told her much about where they'd be going; onlythat he owned some property near a small wizarding town in southernItaly. They flooed because it was hard for Hermione to apparate tosomewhere she'd never been and there was too much luggage for Severusto apparate them both along with all the things. Severus didn't muchlike traveling by floo ­ too much ash ­ but the house was connected tothe network and it didn't take much time so it was the way they went.

Hermione never liked flooing much either, truth be told. The greenflame creeped her out (it was unnatural!) and even though she knew itwasn't true, she felt as if everyone could see her whizzing by theiropen fireplaces on the way. They landed after was seemed like forever.It was a modest looking kitchen, old fashioned at best, and Hermionethought it was quaint.

"This is nice." she said, dusting dress off. Severus just smirked.

"This is the servant's kitchen, Hermione." he said. "It's not evenattached to the main house." Her eyes widened and then narrowed.

"Then why did we floo here?" she asked.

"It's not proper to just land in someone's clean living room." hesaid. Sometimes the fact that she was muggle never crossed his mindbut sometimes she didn't know basic society behavior. "I'm afraid Imight have not been as honest with you as I should have been." he saidand she looked a little scared.

"Go on."

"It's not just a house." he said. With that, he moved and opened aweathered wooden door and pointed to the main grounds. She moved tothe door and audibly gasped. The house was enormous. It was a mansion.It was beautiful. It had beige, stucco walls, almost in a sprawlingmission style. Beyond the house were miles and miles of grapevines.The sky was blue, the sun warm, and the air sweet.

"This is yours?" she asked, eyeing him.

"When my parents died I was left with their ­ considerable fortune."he said. "It's not something I spread around and it isn't something Ifind very important. I still work like everyone else. At first Iworked at Hogwarts because I was safe there and then I was a spy andnowŠ now there is you." he said, drawing her near to him. "I hope thisdoesn't change your perspective of me."

"Of course not." she said, instantly. It did, though, how could itnot? She knew money changed people. Ron Weasley would not be RonWeasley if he'd had a pocket full of Galleons all the time. The housewas beautiful though and she longed to see it.

"Leave the luggage, the elves will see to it." he said. She'd traveledin muggle clothes ­ a summer dress that swirled around her calves inthe breeze in a lovely soft blue. They walked hand in hand towards thelooming house. There was a swimming pool, a garden, tennis courts(he'd learned of the muggle sport on year and taken a liking to it),and then the house. It was only two stories but sprawling. The floorswere tile and the whole house was practically windows and slidingglass doors, always letting light it and allowing for the best of theviews. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"I adore it. It doesn't seem you, however." she admitted.

"Ah, well I didn't much want to be me when I bought it. It is verysecluded though. I rarely leave the grounds when I come here. There isa wizard town ­ you can barely call it that ­ a few miles onedirection and a muggle village in the other direction. I hope youwon't be bored."

"I doubt boredom will be a problem." she said. "There's a library?" He nodded.

"A potions lab, as well." he said. "I figured I could continue myresearch and if you'd like you could help." he said.

"Hmmm, working with a potions master in his lab? Sounds dreadful." shesaid sarcastically, wandering away to what looked to be the masterbedroom. She pushed opened the double doors and smiled in delight. Thebed was of wrought iron frame but not, she noticed, four posters. Itwas a sleigh bed, really, with curves and white sheets and a lovelybrown comforter. To the left she saw the master bath and to the rightwas a balcony overlooking the pool. "Let's never go back." Hechuckled. He saw their luggage was already in the spacious closet andhe moved to remove his traveling cloak and ash covered outer garments.It was warm and he rarely wore anything other then black wool but infront of Hermione he didn't feel like being so buttoned up. He lefthis trousers and white shirt on and turned to her.

"Do you wish to change or unpack?" he asked. She waved her wand so allthe ash disappeared ­ a much easier feat on a simple cotton dress thanon the expensive fabrics he wore. They unpacked, hanging their clothesside by side and putting their toothbrushes next to one another in theholder. Once settled in, he suggested they do a little shopping forfood in the wizarding town. He pulled her close and apparated themthere and she was delighted in the quaint old town. They were allspeaking Italian ­ or dialects of it ­ that she couldn't understandbut he surprised her by greeting the shop keeper in the dialect. Hesmiled at her and she closed her mouth. Severus certainly was full ofsurprises today. They bought milk, bread, cheese, fruits, vegetables,and an assortment of meat; Plenty of the basics so they would not haveto return to town for a couple weeks at least.

When they returned to the mansion, they put all the food in the mainkitchen which had a mixture of muggle and wizard appliances. There wasa large, stainless steel refrigerator that used electricity but wasbewitched to be much more environmentally friendly. Hermioneimmediately set about making them sandwiches for lunch while Severusdisappeared into the cellar to find a bottle of wine for them to drinkwith the food. He came back up with a bottle of red wine ­ "I loathewhite," he said ­ with a beautiful label on it. It said in an ornatescript, Snape Vineyards and the 'S' on 'Snape' was a swirling serpentupon closer inspection. He opened the bottle with a flick of his wand(Hermione blushed as she was about to rise to dig through the drawersfor a corkscrew) and poured them both a glass.

"Tell me about your research." she said, pushing her plate away, satedand taking the wine glass to nurse lightly as she leaned back in herchair.

"I was wondering when you would start asking about that." he said,leering seductively at her. "I kept you distracted for quite a while."

"Yes, well, you're very good at distraction." she said, blushing. Thewine was making her a bit tipsy and she liked the way his eyes felt onher, roaming her body in the tight, strapless dress. "But I would liketo know, now, if I am to assist you."

"I've not written about it." he said and she knew he meant in anypotions journals which meant his research was either very new or veryunorthodox. Her interest was immediate. "What do you know about time,Miss Granger?"

"Well, Professor," she said, playing along, "Only the basic theoriesŠEinstein's theory of relativity and what I learned for myself from theuse of the time turner. It seems that time cannot be changed oraltered but it can be interrupted. Does that make sense?" she asked.When he said nothing, she continued. "When I used the time turner, Ithought I couldn't change anything because it would alter the flow oftime but then I realized that my altercations to time were actually apart of the past. When we saved buckbeak from executionŠ I realized Ihad to warn myself by throwing pebbles because pebbles had been thrownat me hours before."

"What did you know about the time turner its self?" he asked.

"They are rarely issued because mismanagement often causes theirresponsible user's insanity. There are a few that are like I had,only strong enough to go back a couple hours but Headmaster Dumbledoretold be that the first time turner invented was able to go backdecades." she said. "It's a very complicated charm, bringing a turnerto life and only a few know it."

"All a good start." he said. "What many don't know is that the timeturner is not only charmed but it involves potions as well."

"How so?" she asked, confused.

"Inside the hourglass." he said. "It's not sand."

"It's a potion!" she exclaimed. "Of course."

"The smallest amount of a very powerful potion that when combined withthe certain charm can conquer time." he said.

"So what is your experiment?" she asked, the wine forgotten and herbuzz gone replaced by curiosity.

"Changing the potion to experiment with what the time turner canreally do. How far back can you go? And can you change the where aswell? Perhaps even going forwards instead of backwards. Pausing time.There is a whole range of possibilities." he said. "I've only justbegun but I thought perhaps we could spend some time on it while we'rehere." She nodded enthusiastically already itching to read his notesand start some of her own. "Not this afternoon, though." he said.

"Of course." she said, reigning herself in. "What would you like to do?"

"I would like to get you in the smallest bathing suit imaginable andwatch you turn brown by the pool." he said. She chuckled a bit andshrugged.

"As you wish, Sir." she said and cleaned up the dishes with a wave ofher wand. The bathing suit she had was not very skimpy. It was a onepiece made for swimming laps more then turning on professors. She'dbeen on the swim team when she'd gone to muggle school. At Hogwartsthere was not swimming pool that she'd ever found (though that nevermeant very much) and while some brave souls went into the lake whenthe weather finally turned favorable, she was never one of them. Justthe thought of swimming over mer-people with spears or an enormoussquid was enough to put her of swimming for seven years. She swam athome during the summer and now it was much the same. She'd started tothink of Severus at home. She pushed the dark thoughts of leaving himaway for another time though she'd not forgotten the piercing, judgingeyes of Lucius Malfoy and the way his words had made Snape's backbonestraight as a board. Instead she focused her energy on the black onepiece laid out before her. She cut it in half with a muttered spelland then transfigured it into a two piece. She'd seen a few incatalogues at home on her mother's sun porch and Lavender had a newone every year, each less fabric than the last. She never swam butwould lay out in the sun near the Herbology greenhouse (she claimedthe light reflecting off the glass helped her tan faster) and gave allthe boys (and some of the girls) a free show until inevitablyprofessor McGonagall would stomp out and make her come inside.Lavender had always thought that five Gryffindor points was well worthher tan.

Now, looking at the two triangles and a string that compose her oncemodest suit, Hermione sent silent thanks to her blonde roommate. Thebottoms could retain their basic shape ­ she just gave them betterhems. Donning the suit and finding her sunglasses ­ a very mugglecontraption because most wizards just charmed their eyes to reflectthe sun but Hermione thought it was a style thing. She was HollyGolightly hiding behind her giant dark glasses ­ a reference surelylost on Severus. She trotted downstairs with a fluffy towel over hershoulder. Severus was already sitting under the shade of a largeumbrella reading from a dusty book and scribbling notes. She saunteredpast him, dropping her glasses right onto his notes, smearing thefresh ink and causing him to growl in a way meant to frighten seventhyears and completely destroy first years. She didn't pause and helooked up. His look of irritation faded into one of longing and thenoutright hunger as she placed her towel carefully on a dry bit ofpavement, tapped her wand over her head and said a spell to protecther skin from sun damage and then dove gracefully into the large,rectangular pool with nary a splash. She swam a few laps to reacquaintherself with the feel of swimming, of the water. There was no chlorineto tinge her hair green in this pool. It was a wizard's pool and sheassumed it was self-cleaning ­ no nasty chemicals needed.

Snape watched her form shoot back and forth across the water and hadto fight the urge to throw caution to the wind and dive in after herbut he was not an athlete but a scholar and the pool was there when hebought the house and it was just easier to keep it. He'd never beeninside of it, not once, but he had to admit it did look ratherrefreshing on such a warm day. He didn't even own any proper swimminggear. He was sweating a bit in his wool pants and linen shirt, thoughhe'd unbuttoned the shirt nearly all the way, letting his pale chestseen a little sunlight. Hermione's head popped up over the side of thepool and she looked younger than usual.

"You ought to give it a try." she said. It was because her hair wasstraight, heavy with water, he mused. She looked like a fourth year.

"Do you think?" he asked, actually considering.

"Yes." she said, pushing herself out of the pool. The water fell offher in drops, sliding down the plane of her stomach, taking a detourthrough her belly button, and some of the drops curving over her hips.He wanted to lick the water from between her breasts. "If, of course,you're done ogling me." she snickered. He said nothing, unaware ofanything above her shoulders. She walked towards him and pushed theshirt off his shoulders.

"I haven'tŠ anything proper to wear." he said, though he had to clearhis throat several times for the words to emerge.

"We're alone here." she said. "You don't need to wear anything." shepulled him up and started to undo his pants. She purposefully grazedthe hard lump there a number of times and he was openly groaning now."I suppose I'm rather good at distractions, too, eh?" she said,yanking down the pants as well as his boxers shorts and it was arelief to spring free, as it were. She crouched down to remove hissocks, one at a time, her face level with his waist.

"Tease." he murmured, pulling at her head with his hands but sheresisted. She stood and led him to the pool.

"It's better if you just jump in rather than easing yourself in." shesaid. He rolled his eyes and walked a few meters to the steps andwalked in without showing any reaction to the temperature. Sheshrugged and dove in, swimming to meet him where he could stand andshe couldn't. She tread water for a few moments before he pulled herto him and kissed her like a starving man. She wrapped her legs aroundhis waist, letting him support her weight and he walked forward so herback was pressed against the side of the pool where he made love toher, twice. He decided from then on that they should swim every daywhile they were on holiday because swimming was fun.

That night, she was exhausted from the sun and Severus was examininghis skin in the mirror.

"It hurts." he said.

"Yes, it's a sunburn." she said. "Why didn't you use protection?"

"I'm never in the sun." he said. "How long will it hurt? I feel hotand cold at the same time." he said, pressing his fingers to the redskin of his chest and shoulders.

"You're probably a bit feverish." she said. "Come here. Lay down, Iknow of something that will help you." He obeyed and climbed into thebed. The silk sheets scratched his tender skin and he tried not tomove. She went out to the garden where she'd seen some succulentplants growing and she broke off a few of the leaves. He eyed hersuspiciously when she came back in, her hands full.

"I don't think spiny weeds will help the discomfort." he saidpetulantly. She rolled her eyes in a very Snape like manner andordered him to sit up. She squeezed the pulp of the plant out andrubbed it carefully into the red parts of his skin. He felt a littlebetter, soothed. "If we were at school there would be potions forthis."

"Yes, well, muggles use this plant. We've improved on it, of course,but really the basics will do in a pinch. Now, it should fade a biteach day. You've learned your lesson now, though, yes?" she said. Heglared at her and extinguished the lights with a wave of his wand. Itwasn't dark, though. The moon shone in through the glass that led tothe balcony and his features glowed. She rolled on her side to look athim, her expression serious.

"What's on your mind, love?" he asked, knowing he was being inspected.

"Malfoy." she said, knowing it was no use to lie to him.

"I told you not to let that bother you." he said.

"I know. I justŠ I wonder if it might be best for me toŠ" but thewords wouldn't come.

"No." he said.

"If we had this time and then I bowed out gracefullyŠ We could havethe summer but I don't want you to lose your reputation. You've workedhard for your status and I bring you down more pegs then are worthit."

"Is that all I am to you? Your summer fling?" he asked, sitting up forcefully.

"No!" she said. "I love you."

"Then stop talking rubbish. I care little of Malfoy or anyone else'sopinion." he said. "You approve and Albus approves and that is allthat matters and I won't hear anymore of your self indulgentnonsense." he said. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." she said.

"Silly, silly girl." he said, laying back down and pulling her bodyclose to his. His skin radiated heat. "One million points fromGryffindor from your complete lack of faith."

"I'm a professor now too." she reminded him. "One million points fromSlytherin for not seeing that I'm trying to do what's best for you.Also, for being a prat and taking so many points from the obviouslysuperior house."

"Obviously superior?" he squawked, laughing. "Nonsense! You are sillyand delusional and I think you ought to be taught a lesson. Over myknee, young lady." She was laughing now he was kicking the bed linensdown so he could pull her tiny frame across his lap and lift her shortnightgown where her bottom was bare and laid his palm against in asharp slap that caused her to shriek and laugh and beg him to stop allat once. He did and she squirmed around until she was next to him oncemore, her face against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I doubted you." she said.

"You should be." he replied, still a little cross. "I adore you and ifyou don't know that by now then I'm afraid you never will."

"I know." she said. He kissed the top of her head and she snuggledcloser to him. They fell asleep with the covers down by their feet,the heat of his burn keeping her warm. When she woke up, it wasn'tquite morning. The sky outside was grey with the very beginnings oflight. She felt exhausted ­ her limbs heavy and she wasn't sure whatwoke her. Severus was heavily asleep next to her tangled in the whitesheet. She was a little chilled so she scrambled down to the end ofthe bed to pull the heavier blanket off the floor and over her. Aftera few minutes, she decided to get a glass of water and padded to thebathroom to stick her head under the faucet. She'd only been gone amoment when the bathroom door flew open and Severus with a somewhatcrazed look in his eye lunged for her, holding her tightly to him.

"Hermione." he said, but it came out like a sob.

"Good heavens, what happened?" she said, trying to straighten out andlook at him properly but he was holding onto her too tightly. She'dnot even turned the water off yet.

"I woke up and you were gone." he said. "You weren't there." Thissurprised her. She knew that he was slowly become more and moreattached to her (as was she to him) but this was the behavior of adesperate man. She recognized the signs of a nightmare on him.Confusion, desperation, and fine sheen of sweat covering his nowfaintly pink skin. It was probably one part fever and one part hispast. It scared her, sometimes, how very little she really knew ofhim.

"I'm here. I just went to get a drink. I'm here, Severus." she said,finally hugging him back. They'd sunk down onto the bathroom floor ina tangled heap and she rocked him slowly back and forth on the brownbathroom mat. "I'm not going anywhere." He was openly crying on hershoulder now, big body wracking sobs. She'd walked Harry through anumber of nightmares during the summers and 12 Grimmauld place (Ronwould sleep through the end of the world) and sometimes the emotionwas just overwhelming. Finally ­ minutes passed ­ his breathingreturned to normal and she could tell the exact moment he became fullyaware of his surroundings. His body went from completely limp tocompletely rigid and he jerked away from her.

"What you must think of me." he whispered, scooting away from her. Helooked like a frightened child, scurrying from her, completely nude,and wiping away his tears with the back of his hand.

"Don't do this, don't close off now." she pleaded, but he was alreadyoff the floor and out of the bedroom, his robe gone. She couldn'tdecide whether to follow him. Outside the sun was beginning to rise inearnest now. She wished she could ask someone's advice. Only Harry andGinny knew of her friends. She wished her mother wasn't sodisconnected from her life. She was ­ really ­ barely nineteen andthis was her first real relationship and Severus was damaged goods.She knew nothing about his childhood, little about his death eaterdays, and nothing of his love life. She was in love with someone onestep up from a stranger.

She found her own robe ­ still her Hogwarts robe all red and yellowflannel with little lions covering it ­ and went out to see if shecould find him in the expansive house. He wasn't in the kitchen or thelibrary or out by the pool. Finally, she made a pot of coffee and wentout to search the vineyards.

She found him after about a mile and an hour. He was sitting with hisback against a wooden fence between two of the plants.

"Hello." she said, conjuring him a mug and pouring the coffee into it,still warm from the charmed coffee pot.

"Hello." he said, patting the dirt next to him. She sat carefully,avoiding any unsightly rocks near her bum.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." he said. "Thank you." It was the carefully clipped tone theyspoke to one another with when they were hiding their relationship ­when she was his student.

"Harry used to have terrible dreams." she said. "But that's all theyare, just dreams." He didn't look at her. "The elves made breakfast."

"Did they?" he said, drinking his coffee and grimacing. He reallypreferred tea.

"They did. I think we should go eat it and perhaps spend the day inyour lab?" she offered. They both knew what she was doing. Offeringhim something he could understand. Science, logic, and reason. She wasgiving him an out. He wasted no time in taking it.

"I have notes you should read." he said, standing and helping her up.They walked back to the house silently. She held his hand and hesqueezed it tightly. Another day, perhaps, he would be willing to talkabout it. She had to hope. For now, they had their experiments in timeto begin, and a whole year of Hogwarts before any decisions had to bemade.

The summer days seemed to sail by. In the mornings they would work inthe labs and afternoons were spent resting. The days were hot andHermione liked to spend the warmest parts napping or laying out by thepool. Nights were either spent back in the lab or reading in thelibrary or sometimes going to down for dinner. They'd spent nearlythree weeks in Italy by the time Hermione decided to write to herfriends like she'd promised on the last day of school. They sat in thekitchen ­ the coolest place in the house ­ and were quietly working ontheir own little projects. Hermione had several clean bits ofparchment and a fresh bottle of ink laid out in front of her. Severuswas doing the crossword in the Daily Prophet. He was very good at themand it was a game he didn't feel silly playing. Hermione decided towrite Harry first. He knew about Severus and knew to be discreet. Shedidn't know why she didn't want to tell Ron but she knew he wouldn'tunderstand and she was afraid their friendship would buckle when heheard.

She described to him the house ­ how fine it was and how it suitedtheir needs so well ­ how in a perfect world this summer would neverend and they would never leave. She described the grapes (juststarting to emerge on the vine) and the blue sky and how Severus wasan excellent tennis player (when he cheated) and how she was tan,actually tan as was he, something Harry would never believe.

"Are you writing him a novel?" Severus asked, finally, peering at hertiny, crammed writing on the parchment which was quickly filling up.

"No." she said, glaring.

"Ahh, you write long, flowery letters pontificating on the weather,don't you?" he asked, nailing her in one. She scowled at him and didnot answer. He took that as a yes, and went back to his puzzle. Shefinished the letter telling Harry that Severus was being a prat andthat she had to go. It was something he would understand. Sheaddressed the letter and set it aside and pulled a fresh sheet infront of her. Time to write her parents. They didn't know aboutSeverus either but she felt compelled to tell them she was seeingsomeone. Her mother hinted towards grandchildren all the time, afraidher daughter's bookworm personality would never herald offspring. Itwas true, though, that Hermione hadn't really ever had a properboyfriend. There was Viktor Krum of course but that romance fizzledrather rapidly into a pen pal and then nothing when he'd told herwriting so frequently to a muggle born was hurting his professionalqudditch star image. And then Ron ­ an awkward three weeks one summer.She'd stayed at the burrow and his kisses her sloppy and finally shetold him that she'd much rather be friends. He'd been hurt but found aHufflepuff to ease his wounds with relative speed. There had been thatmuggle boy, too, yes but that was no relationship ­ more of a scienceexperiment.

And then there was now, there was Severus who'd been evil for six anda half years and then appeared one night in a tower and carried her toher bed and invited her into his chambers and had the most beautifulexpression of wonder when she'd climbed on top of him that first time,her clothes in a pile ­ her knickers wrecked ­ panting like an animal.Severus who woke her up by kissing her neck in just the right way.Severus who could do things with his tongue that she thought might beillegal, they felt so good. Severus, who was twice her age. Severuswho had known her when she was 11. Severus who was watching her with asort of hungry expression as she ran her feather quill along herbottom lip deep in thought.

"I shall have to go see my parents soon." she said, breaking thetrance she'd unknowingly put him in.

"For how long?" he asked. His parents had been dead a long time nowand it was a chore he'd forgotten about, the obligatory visit.

"A few days, a week at most." she said. "I've not told them about you."

"I imagine not." he said, not offended.

"We leave in a week?" she asked, looking wistfully out the windowwhere she could see a summer storm on the horizon. It would raintonight.

"I'd planned to." he said.

"Me too." she sighed though. "I love it here." he smiled at her.

"I'm pleased to share it with you." he said. "Hermione, if you wish tokeep me from your parents, I won't be offended."

"No." she said, though she did wish to keep him from them. "But Ithink I'll tell them in person." she said. She scribbled out a quicknote telling them she'd be home in two weekends and that she missedthem. She'd apparate to the owl post in the town in the morning. "Youare invited to come with me if you'd like to meet them." she said.

"Absolutely not." he said.

"I thought as much." she said. She couldn't imagine standing on herparent's neat front porch with the tall black potions masters staringdourly at the pastel muggle couple who opened the door to greet theirbaby girl. She could just imagine telling them that she'd started therelationship before she was even graduatedŠ no, it would be a longwhile before those three ever came face to face and that is only ifshe and Severus lasted. She hoped they would. She though about hisoutburst so early in their stay. It'd not happened again but he heldher closer in that grey time between day and night. "I do insist youcome to the party at the burrow." she said, feeling brave.

"Party?" he sneered.

"Yes, every end of July. The Weasleys hold a party for all the summerbirthdays. Harry and Ginny, mostly, but whoever else cares to attend."she said. "You said that you weren't ashamed to be with me." shereminded him.

"I'm not, but that shouldn't mean I have to subject myself to anafternoon of torture to celebrate someone I don't even like!" he saidbut he knew it was a losing battle.

"SeverusŠ"

"I'll think about it." he muttered.

Hermione was sad to leave the Italian house. They packed and readiedthemselves for the trip back to Hogwarts. Hermione had the irrationalfear that once this blissfully peaceful holiday ended the spell theywere under would break and he would want nothing more to do with her.Or she would leave to visit her parents and come back and he would begone ­ off to bigger and better things leaving her to waste awaylonely in the castle. She'd spent years wishing for his demise and nowshe couldn't imagine those hallowed halls without him. He looked ather just as they were about to step in the fireplace back in theservant's kitchen.

"Hermione, love, what's wrong?" he asked, noting her pale face. Shelooked as if she were going to be sick.

"Make love to me. Once more before we go." she said, already undoingthe buttons of her blouse. Italian silk in a pale green that suitedher summer tan. He'd bought it for her the day before.

"Now?" he asked, looking at their shoddy surroundings.

"Please." she said. "I need you once more right now." she was hikingup her skirt and pushing down her knickers ­ a wisp of black lace.He'd bought those, too.

"Hermione." he said, watching her push up onto the kitchen table andlay back, waiting for him. He could see the tears brimming at hereyes. She looked scared. He supposed that if he got one nervousbreakdown in Italy, she was allowed one as well. He went over to herand gathered her in his arms, pulling her skirt back down. "What doyou think is going to happen once we leave here?" he asked.

"I know exactly what's going to happen." she sniffed. "You're going torealize that I'm the same insufferable know-it-all I've always been."

"I've not forgotten that you're an insufferable know-it-all yet Istill want you and I'm not going to stop wanting you just becausethere is a change of scenery." he assured her.

"I'm silly." she said. "I'm a silly girl. I can't believe you loveme." she said, giving him a watery smile.

"But I do." he said, helping her straighten herself out and wrappinghis arm around her shoulders. They went into the fireplace together.

The castle was still mostly empty, everyone still away. She did feel alittle comforted by the familiar castle though and now that she wasactually back and Severus was still walking with his hand on the smallof her back, her fears seemed unfounded. They definitely needed towork on trust. He deposited her at her room, the portrait of thedancing couple now firmly in place as her entrance. It was muchbetter, the slow twirl of them in the moonlight. He kissed her cheekand told her he was going to be in the dungeons. Told her she shouldcome down later when she was settled and he was settled and they wereused to the Scottish country side once more. In her room, she unpackedher luggage and sent all her things to be cleaned by the elves.Everything was still white and she spent the afternoon changing herdécor to the warm sepia tones that reminded her of the Italian house.

Soon she was packing again and kissing Severus goodbye and going homefor a few days. She was wary to be away from him. Things had been goodsince their return to Hogwarts a week ago. Dumbledore had returned tothe castle later that night and had dinner with them along withProfessors Flitwick, Vector, and Sprout who, if they had opinions onthe comfortable behavior between Hermione and Snape, said nothing. Sheliked the acceptance. Now would she find it at home? She apparated toDiagon alley and took the underground home. She stood on her frontporch and rang the bell though it would have been perfectly acceptablefor her to just walk in. Her father answered the door and hugged herand her mother came and hugged her and there was much hugging beforeshe even made it inside the house. They watched her unshrink herluggage in her childhood bedroom ­ pink with a twin bed ­ and hermother fed her dinner and they made small talk before finally, overwine, she told them about Severus.

"I'm seeing someone." she said. Her mother looked immediately enthralled.

"Who?" she asked. "Do we know him?"

"Or her." her father added, without tact. Hermione smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not gay." she told her dad, not for the first time.

"Well, we'd love you if you were." he said, sounding unconvinced.

"Thanks, but he is a wizard." she said. Her parents showed slightsigns of disappointment but no surprise.

"From Hogwarts?" her mother asked.

"Yes." she said, carefully. "I don't think there is any delicate wayto put this." she said. "His name is Severus Snape. He's the potionsmaster at Hogwarts." Her father, a champion in denial, smiled.

"A new teacher, like you?" he asked. Her mother who wasn't quite asdaft was frowning now.

"No." Hermione said.

"Wait a minute, are you dating a man who was your professor?" hermother asked, stern now.

"Yes." she said. "He's not my professor now, though. We're colleagues."

"And just how old is this Mr. Snake?" her father asked, botching thename in the most comical way.

"Older." she said. She was starting to tire of defending him already."I'm an adult now and I can see whomever I please." she reminded them.

"We know, we know, we just want what's best for you." her mothersnapped. "I just think it's quite inappropriate for teachers to datestudents." her eyes widened. "This all happened after your graduation,correct?" she asked. Hermione nodded, lying smoothly. She was not agood liar on principal except when it came to explaining Hogwarts toher parents. How do you explain such a glorious place and the thingsthat went on there to a pair of muggle dentists? How did she explainthe danger she was in almost constantly since her first day and howdid she correctly describe how the war was always looming, how bloodythe battles were but how different they were from muggle wars. HowVoldemort and the turmoil in the wizarding world had such a blatanteffect on muggle warfare? If a war well and truly broke out it wouldaffect everyone, not just wizards.

"He's a good man." she said, "He loves me." Her parents nodded andwent back to their treacle tart, quiet. Later, in her room, shechanged into one of her more modest nightgowns and crawled into theseemingly tiny bed that had once been hers. There were still herStrawberry Shortcake sheets and her checkered bedspread and her posterDr. Who (her dark little secret) and all her young adult books thatshe'd deemed to childish to take to school and her stuffed animals ina basket in her closet full of clothes that no longer fit and shouldhave been given away long ago. Her bedside lamp was on and she had abook on the bed next to her but things looked eerie and unnaturalunder electric lights. Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding worlddidn't use electricity ­ it was a wholly muggle invention. She feltout of place now reaching up to twist the knob of the lamp instead ofwhispering "nox" to kill the lights. She didn't feel as if shebelonged to this world. She hadn't felt like she belonged in thewizarding world either until recently. Until Severus. If the head ofSlytherin ­ as purebred as they come ­ could accept Hermione thenanyone could. Not everyone would, of course, but even though shebrought Severus down in social status, he did bring her up. A sillything to worry about but the wizarding world was much more oldfashioned than muggles. Her room was quiet and dark and smelledfamiliar. She missed his arms around her but it didn't take long tofall asleep.

After three days of her parents, she returned to school. She lovedthem but a weekend was more than enough. Severus wasn't expecting herback for another two days and she wanted to surprise him. It was shewho got the surprise to find him gone. His rooms looked normal ­ hisbed was unmade and a few papers were out of place. The lab was empty.It looked like the house elves hadn't yet come through that morning ­there was a tea service left on the table. She suddenly had a horriblefeeling. Something was wrong. She could almost feel magic in the air ­the sizzle of it and the burst smell that she associated with darkmagic. She shucked off her cloak and grabbed her wand and made her waytoward Dumbledore's office. She didn't make it before she ran intoDobby.

"Hermione Granger!" he shrieked, throwing himself around her legs. Thelittle elf was sobbing and shaking.

"Dobby, what's happened?" she demanded.

"So awful." he continued, creating a big, wet stain on her robes from tears.

"Dobby, where is Severus?" she yelled again, impatient with his display.

"The dark lord has risen, has risen." Dobby cried. "At Hogwarts." Shewas about to ask for more when she heard it. The casting of hexes, thedistinct whizzing of spells shooting from the end of wands. She hadcome back early to the middle of the battle. The final battle,perhaps. She'd apparated to Hogsmeade and flooed back instead ofapparating to the gates. Hogsmeade had seemed deserted but she'd notgiven it a second thought figuring most people were on holiday as shehad been. Now she kicked Dobby off her and ran towards the noise. Thecloser she came to the great hall, to the front doors of the school,the more people she came across. Bodies, more, the life that made thempeople gone. Fallen death eaters, fallen professors. She tried not tolook at the familiar faces. The small form of Flitwick, what looked tobe Percy Weasley, a death eater still in his silver, faceless mask. Ohgod.

She had to find Severus. The doors were open and she could see theflashes of light on the lawn. She could see the forms of people allmoving slowly, fighting towards one central spot. Lord Voldemort. Partof her wanted to run out screaming, wand blazing but she knew thatwould be stupid. No one knew she was here. She had to be stealthy forshe was a secret weapon. She started shooting spells in to the back ofdeath eaters. She was quiet and effective. She'd come up behind deatheaters, not behind the light. They'd already taken the school, pushingthe light side further from the castle, deeper toward the forbiddenforest.

She felt the urge to use an unforgivable curse. To kill them with asingle hex. To use the imperious curse to make them kill each other.She wanted revenge. She took out one more, what looked to be a fatter,older version of Crabbe when she was spotted. She had the suddenhorrid thought that one of the masked men was Severus ­ that she'ddisabled her own love. She couldn't think about that now, though, withthe black forms advancing towards her. One of the death eaters rippedoff the mask and she recognized Bellatrix Lestrange. She'd fought thewitch once before, in her fifth year.

Hermione blocked a hex, and another, making her way towards the groupof professors and toward, she hoped, Harry. She felt something whizpass her hair, singeing the skin of her left ear and part of her neckbut she didn't stop. Many of the death eaters were focusing on her,taking the heat away from the knot of people who were just meters awaynow. She didn't see him, though her eyes searched the crowd for histall, dark form. He wasn't there. Then she felt something hit her inthe back, like a chard of metal between her shoulder blades. Shecouldn't breathe. Her knees hit the grass hard, her cheek harder. Shedidn't want to close her eyes. Everything blurred. She slipped quietlyunder.

People die in wars and Hermione ­ from the second she'd learned aboutLord Voldemort and the always precarious struggle between light anddark magic, between good and evil ­ knew she would be willing to doanything to protect the world that had given her hope; the world thatshe loved so much. She would die to save magic and to save muggleborns like herself. She had the right to magic by her birth and whyshould anyone be able to take that away?

Still, when the moment came, she was unprepared. The second she feltthat tearing pain through her spine she felt like a failure. She waswilling to die, yes, but would much rather have won without death. Shewas willing to die but preferred to live happily ever after, Severusat her side. Yet, if Severus were already dead then what was there tolive for? If Voldemort won, would life still be worth living?

She could feel herself clawing toward consciousness. It was likewalking from a tunnel of darkness toward the light. Was this heaven?If so, then that whole diatribe about eternal life without pain wasrubbish because she felt like hell. The closer she got to the light,the more pain there was and she so backtracked into the warmth, thedarkness, once more.

She heard her name, and paused. The voice again. More urgently thistime. God sounded a bit like Madame Pomfrey.

It was then Hermione knew that she wasn't dead. She had a choice tomake then. Stay in the darkness and assume the worst (no Harry, noSeverus, no Hogwarts) or go towards the light no matter the pain andface whatever consequences awaited her. She was still deliberatingwhen the choice was made for her and her body was flung without mercyin to consciousness.

She coughed; the bitter taste of a pepper-up potion still in the backof her throat. Her eyes felt like they had sand in them when sheforced them open. She closed them again quickly against the brightlight and tried again more slowly. Everything was too blurry. Shecould barely make out movement around her and everything had thatdistant echoing of head trauma. She tried to sit up but nixed thatidea as a wave of pain and then nausea rolled over her. She felt ahand push her shoulder down, her head against the pillow.

"She's out of the worst of it now." she heard a disembodied voice sayand then everything went dark once more.

This happened a few times. A few fleeting moments of the real worldbut then the pain overtook her and she sunk back down. She had noconcept of time or where she was or who was there with her. She hadnightmares ­ swirling imagines of color and sound that didn't meananything to her but frightened her all the same. When she was moreconscious than not, she dreamt of Italy. Of the still blue skies andgreen leaves on the grape vines. Though summer was ending now, wasn'tit? Surely the vines would start to turn all sorts of reds and golds(Gryffindor!) and the grapes would need to be harvested. She waswaking up again.

It hurt less this time and she opened her eyes to see snow fallingoutside. In front of her bed were the large, arched windows of theinfirmary at Hogwarts. The window ledge was gathering snow and thewindow panes were covered with spider webs of frost. It didn't snow inJuly, did it? Wasn't it July when this had all happened? She'd beenlooking forward to Harry's birthday, to seeingŠ Severus. She tried tospeak but it came out a moan and a cough. It was night and there werea few soft candles lit but everything was mostly dark and she wasalone.

What had she expected? Him to be holding vigil at her bedside? Thatwas never his style anyway and he was most likely dead so she'd justhave to get used to being alone again. She felt bitter and alone andwithout hope. Her head hurt in that omnipresent way she'd gotten usedto. She felt like someone had wrung her out. She couldn't really moveand felt the embarrassing presence of a bed pan beneath her. Her skinfelt dry and sore and she didn't even want to know about her hair.

She tried again to sit up and it was a little easier with fullconcentration. She propped her elbows underneath her and lookedaround. She could see other beds with the curtains partially drawnlike hers. So she probably wasn't alone, completely. There were otherpatients. She saw a small boy asleep with a bandaged arm and a few getwell cards on the table beside him. If it was snowing, then school hadprobably begun. So much for her teaching job. Then again, if there wasa student, then perhaps not all had been lost. Did she dare to hopefor Voldemort's defeat? She needed answers now, there was so much leftunsaid. The war, her friends, her lover. She pushed back thebedclothes and gritted her teeth against the pain. She would just goslowly. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, careful not toupset the bedpan (it looked empty and was probably charmed to empty assoon as it was filled) and put her bare feet on the icy floor. As soonas she did that, the doors opened and Madam Pomfrey came bustling inall upset.

"What do you think you're doing?" she whispered shrilly, as to notwake any other patients.

"IŠ" she said, but her voice was dry and refused to come out.

"While I'm glad to see you up, you are in no position to go anywhere,Miss Granger." she admonished, pushing her back into the narrow cot.Hermione bit back a frustrated sigh. She hated not knowing what washappening. "It's the middle of the night. I'll give you a sleepingdraught and we'll talk in the morning." She was saying now, movingaway from Hermione and toward the row of shelves that held her variouspotions.

"No!" Hermione rasped. "Now." Madame Pomfrey paused and considered the girl.

"It's 3:00am, Miss Granger." she said, but Hermione didn't care.

"Water." she ordered and the mediwitch nodded and conjured a glass ofwater with a wave her wand and handed it to Hermione who sipped at ittentatively. It was soothing to her cotton mouth and she drank thewhole glass slowly while Pomfrey fretted and waited. "Severus?" sheasked, finally, unable to hold her curiosity at bay, even if it meantreceiving the worst news of her life.

"I'll get Headmaster Dumbledore." she said, noncommittally and fledthe infirmary. Tears sprang to her eyes immediately for themediwitch's actions were more than enough proof of her worst fears.

Dumbledore appeared in the fireplace rather promptly, with a warmsmile. She was relieved to see him more or less the same as the lasttime she'd laid eyes on him. Maybe a few more wrinkles and a littleless hair but that was expected of someone a century and a half old,wasn't it?

"Hermione, how relieved I am to see you." he said, sitting in thestraight back wooden chair that was next to her bed. "You have somequestions?"

"Is he dead?" she asked. "Is Severus dead?" He looked at her with asort of softness in her eyes that made her tears start anew.

"No." he said, surprising her into a fit of particularly bad hiccupsthat were so heavy she thought she could hear her ribs rattling.Madame Pomfrey rushed to get her a purple potion to take ­ nastytasting thing for Severus never worried about taste when he brewed herpotions ­ and the hiccups were gone. "He was hurt very badly, you bothwere." he said. "Do you remember what happened?" She thought about herdreams, about the images and colors that had been haunting her.

"I rememberŠ I came back early and then Dobby said something aboutŠ hehas risen at Hogwarts." she said, closing her eyes. Remembering hard."I could hear the fighting andŠ no one knew I was there and then I sawthe death eaters and the bodies and something hit me in the back, itfelt likeŠ like shrapnel." she said, opening her eyes. "What spell hitme?"

"Actually if felt like that because it wasn't a spell. Draco Malfoyhit you in the back with Hagrid's ax for splitting wood." he said. Shegasped, horrified. She always knew he was a backstabber, though shedidn't appreciate the pun. "You're lucky to be alive."

"What happened?" she asked. "What of Voldemort?"

"Ahh, no longer a threat." Dumbledore said. "Harry fought valiantly."But he didn't look happy.

"Oh no." she murmured. "HarryŠ" The headmaster did nothing to correcther assumption. Harry had saved them all with his own life. It was alltoo much; she felt dizzy and had to lay back. "I want to see Severus."she said, shakily.

"I want you to be well-prepared for what you see, Hermione." he said."Severus is not himself and has not been since the battle. He was heldin the Crucio curse for a long time, longer then many people couldstand. He's lost a lot of mobility and dexterity. It's hard for him tomake potions now. He is very depressed and very bitter." Dumbledoreexplained. Severus was a bitter man anyhow. This was not good news."When he saw how badly you were hurt ­ we didn't think you'd make it ­he spiraled even deeper into his guilt."

"I want to see him." she repeated, duly warned and determined.

"In the morning." he promised. "Take Poppy's potion and I'll come byfirst thing in the morning." She didn't want to wait ­ he needed her,couldn't they see that? But it was no use arguing and she was tiredagain and so she nodded, once ­ curtly ­ and soon she was asleep butit was not restful.

Pomfrey woke her up early, only a few hours later.

"I thought you might want a proper bath." she said. Hermione did andso she leaned heavily onto the stout strength of Poppy Pomfrey intothe bathroom where there were a few secluded tubs for the long terminfirmary resident such as herself. Pomfrey started the tap and thetub filled with nothing but clean, clear hot water. "I've seen it all,dear, no need to be modest with me." she said when Hermione hesitatedin taking off the simple cotton nightgown she wore which she was surewas in dire need of a cleaning as well. She nodded and pulled thegarment off and turned and screamed a little. She'd caught sight ofher self in the mirror and thought it was a stranger. For one, all herhair had been cut off, cropped close to her head. Her hand reached upto touch the curls so close to her scalp now. It was one way ofcontrolling the mass of hair, she supposed.

"It's so short." she said.

"Yes, easier to deal with on a long term basis." Pomfrey saidunapologetically. She was practical, of course, like Hermione herself.She was standing unabashedly naked, watching herself in the mirror.She'd lost so much weight that she looked like a strong wind mightjust take her away. She'd never been able to see her ribs with suchclarity; her hip bones had never been so angular before. Her skin wassallow. Her skin was dry and scaly. She turned slowly to look at herback where the ax had been. There was a long, angry scar now marringher once flawless back. It was bright red and almost six inches long."That will fade and there are things to help it along." the mediwitchsaid. "Don't worry dear; the human body is quite resilient. Into thebath now." she said but her voice lost the bossy edge and she was abit more gentle with the girl then she might have been. Hermionesimply sat in the bath, a little in shock, while Pomfrey washed herskin and her short, boyish hair and dried her off with a charm anddressed her in a new, similar nightgown and a thick, quilted robe topreserve her modesty for when she left the safe walls of theinfirmary.

Hermione was tired and limping a bit on her left side. She didn'tmention it, though, and when they went back into the main room,Dumbledore was waiting. She felt like she could face anything. She wasgoing to see Severus! He was alive! A little worse for the wear,perhaps, but then so was she. She smiled bravely at Dumbledore whotook her arm and helped out the door and towards the dungeons.

"Remember my warnings." he said.

"Did you tell him I was awake? Does he know that I'm coming?" sheasked, a little hurt he'd not come to see her. If it were the otherway around, she would have rushed to his bedside the moment she heardhe was awake but she tried very hard not to place blame. Severus wasdifferent, reserved, austere and it was part of what attracted him toher. They would get through this. They had to. They'd gone so faralready.

"I told him. HeŠ didn't want you to see him hurt." Dumbledore said. "Itold him not to be selfish."

"He didn't want to see me?" she asked.

"He did want to see you. He's a proud man, though." he consoled her.Hermione decided to just let the situation speak for itself. She wasout of breath when they finally arrived at the dungeons, standing infront of his door. "I'll leave you here." he said.

"You aren't coming in?" she asked, suddenly afraid.

"I think it would be best for you to go in alone. Just floo me whenyou're ready to go back to the infirmary." he said. "Poppy will startto fret if you're gone too long." He leaned in and kissed her cheekand he smelled of peppermint and sugar. She never knew either of hergrandfathers but she felt that if she did have one he would have beensomething like Dumbledore.

"What ifŠ?" she said, holding him back. "What if it is too different?"

"Hermione, you were sick for nearly five months. It's going to bedifferent. It won't be easy but then, you've always been able to doanything you've set your mind to, so I'm not worried. Go on, go in."he said and she watched him recede down the dark hallway before sheknocked on the door. She heard his voice ­ gruff ­bidding her toenter. She pushed the door open, clutching her robe tightly. Shewished that she looked beautiful but she knew half-way decent was justbeyond her grasp at the moment.

He was there, sitting in his favorite winged back chair facing thefire, with a blanket over his lap. She had a sudden flash of images:him in the moonlight, him in muggle London, him in Italy, making loveto her in a poolŠ Now he wasn't even rising to meet her. She wanted toappear just as uninterested ­ just as cool as he was being now but shefound herself tripping over herself to get to him, to stand in hisline of vision at least.

"SeverusŠ" she said, but didn't touch him, didn't throw herself intohis arms like she had planned. He looked gaunt and unnatural. Hewasn't dead but he could have passed as a corpse with little effort.The tan she remembered him having was gone now and his skin was paleand yellow like he'd not seen the sun in a long time. His hair hadbeen hacked back to chin length and was greasy once more though notfrom brewing, she supposed, but neglect. His eyes had dark circlesbeneath them ­ lack of sleep ­ and she could see a walking stickleaning next to him on the chair. He back was hunched and there was aglass of strong alcohol in his hand. He met her gaze briefly and thenturned his head away so his hair hung down, obscuring his face.

"I didn't want you to see me like this." he said, softly. She feltrighteous, indignant anger welling up inside.

"Are you even happy to see me? I thought you were dead!" she said, notin the mood to pity him when she was just as bad.

"Perhaps that would have been better." he said. She threw up her handsin exasperation. "I can'tŠ I can't brew. I'm a potion masters whocan't make potions." he tried to explain.

"Yes, and I got an ax in the back, Severus. We've all had a bad go ofit." she snarled. "It was good to see you, too." She felt utterlybetrayed by him. He'd not even touched her, told her he was happy tosee her. He didn't even tell her 'hello'. She turned and left theroom. He didn't call after her. She didn't go back to the infirmarybut headed straight to the staff quarters. She assumed her rooms werestill there even though someone else was obviously teachingtransfiguration by now. She would find out. She passed a group ofstudents ­ first years by the looks of them ­ who jumped back at thecrazy, short haired woman limping by them in a bathrobe and theystartled her. School, right. She'd have to remember. The portrait ofthe dancing couple was still there and still opened for her and insidewere all her things. Her bags from her visit home were still unpackedand there were letters and get well cards on the coffee table. Shebrushed by them, and threw herself on the bed even though the forcejarred her so badly that all the pain that had been fading came backanew. She felt the tears come and she let them. She sobbed for thebetter part of an hour. She cried for herself ­ for the pain. Shecried for the end of an era, the end of a war she was still desperateto know the details of. She cried for the way Severus had treated her,how what they had so precious and new was lost. She cried for Harrywho hadn't made it through the war after all. He was the boy who livedto die for them all. Finally, feeling drained, she fell asleep curledinto a ball feeling ugly and unwanted.

It was hours later when she woke ­ the light was different. She didn'tknow what woke her at first but then she heard the foreign noise.Thunk ­ clunk ­ stomp. Thunk ­ clunk ­ stomp. Someone (or thing) wasin her rooms, coming towards the bedrooms. She sat up hopingfleetingly that whatever it was was coming to kill her. Then she feltmad at her self and became determined not to think like that, not tostew in self-pity like Snape.

He was there. Standing, heavily on his walking stick in her doorframe.The clunking she'd heard was him depending on a stick of black woodfor mobility. He looked tired and his face was covered with a finesheen of sweat. She rose swiftly to help him ignoring her ownweakness. He held up his hand to stop her.

"I owe you an apology." he said, breathing heavily. "I came to tellyou that I'm sorry which is something that is rarely heard coming fromme." She stared at him, unsure if she was willing to accept hisapology. "I missed you so desperately. You weren't waking up. Thefirst few months you were in St. Mungo's. You had spinal injuries. Atfirst, they thought you'd never walk again. Finally, they moved youhere. They'd done everything they could and everything else was up toyou. All you had to do was wake up and the longer you stayed in yourcoma, the more unlikely your waking up was. Then, a few weeks ago,Poppy said you were showing signs of life but I'd alreadyŠ I'd givenup already. I couldn't take anymore false hope. Now, here you arealive and I keep thinking ­ one false move and you'll be snatched awayand I think if that should happen I really would die." She wassurprised at the length and honesty of this confession.

"I didn't want to wake up." she admitted. "I thought you'd alreadydied. I thought I might have killed you myself."

"Why ever would you think that?" he asked.

"I was taking out death eaters. I didn't see you so I assumed you musthave been in your robes andŠ" she shrugged. "I still have no idea whathappened, really."

"I'd like to show you something." he said, motioning her closer. Sheapproached tentatively and he rolled up his left sleeve to theforearm. Where the dark mark had once been now was just an ugly,circular scar. The skin was ruined forever and was unattractive, yes,but there was no more mark and that in itself was beautiful. "WhenHarry sacrificed himself it burned off completely. I was unconscious,luckily. I wasn't in death eater robes. You didn't kill me." he said."I'd already fallen when you arrived." She touched the scar lightly,the first contact they had in months. He took her hand and pulled heragainst him, crushing her body to his. She breathed deeply, lettinghim hold her.

So what could they do but start again? Because it wasn't the same, notreally, and so they couldn't just pick up where they left off. Afterthat day, that first day, Poppy had come and scolded them both intosubmission so Severus had left ­ clunking away dejectedly ­ andHermione persuaded her to let her stay in her own rooms. Buteverything little thing exhausted her and what little muscle she hadwas gone. She spent a lot of time in bed and worked a little day tobuild up her endurance. Severus came once a day and read to her, orshared tea, or some days, on good days after the weather broke, theywould go for walks.

He was there with her when she finally tackled the pile of mail thatsat getting stale in her room. Many were get well cards ­ from theWeasleys who were undoubtedly mourning Harry's death ­ from RemusLupis and many other order members. A nice note from Neville and a fewfrom some other underclassmen who she'd tutored or befriended throughout her years at Hogwarts. Then, there was the stack of letter's fromher parents. They looked utterly out of place with their carefullyaddressed envelopes and little square stamps in the upper right handcorner. They mailed the letters to a company that would then send itowl post. It wasn't as if Hogwarts had an address that some mugglepostman could find on a map and even if he did stumble by all he wouldsee would be a dilapidated castle in the distance. She opened herparent's letters ­ the first demanding to know why she'd missed herweekly owl post date. Next, a note of apology and worry when they'dheard the news. Her father demanded that they be allowed to visit herat the hospital or at the school or where ever they were keeping her.

"Did they come?" she asked but Severus shook his head sadly.

"Muggles can't come here." he said but she knew that. "Albus met with them."

"The headmaster went to my parent's house?" she asked. It was anabsurd idea and she imagined it would play out like a scene from asituation comedy on the television ­ a laugh track whenever Dumbledoredid something her parents found odd. Meaning constant, uproariouslaughter, of course.

The last letter was a goodbye letter. It was heartbreaking.

"Someone told them I came to, right?" she asked and he nodded thoughhe didn't tell her who and he waited silently for over an hour whileshe wrote a long, long letter back to them and sent it away on aschool owl. "Where is Hedwig?" she asked, as an after thought.

"Who?"

"Hedwig. Harry's owl. The white one." she asked, suddenly desperate toknow the location of the loyal bird. "In fact, where are all ofHarry's things?"

"With Weasley, I imagine." he said, reaching out to her for she wasgetting a frantic look in her eyes ­ like she was trapped and hewanted her to sit back down because she was pacing and he couldn'tpace anymore because his hips hurt. He missed pacing. He waitedanother half an hour while she wrote the Burrow.

When the relationship had started, it had been student-teacher andthen illicit and then, just as they'd started to approach normal, thewar took everything. Hermione started thinking of what happened as achance for a fresh start. To get to know each other without breakingany rules. He was undemanding. He concentrated on her health. Gettingher stronger, getting her to eat and put on a little weight. Hermionehad never been muscular or athletic. She was a bookworm. She'd beenthin, yes, but soft and yielding. Her hips and tummy had soft curvesand that had been Snape's favorite part. Now she was skin and bones,her clothes didn't fit her. She was always cold. He was tired a lot aswell. His hips ached and Poppy had him in physical therapy to improvehis dexterity. They both were getting stronger but their moodsimproved only slightly. It was Hermione who finally voiced the opinionhe'd been holding back from her.

"I don't think that staying in this castle is helping me." she said."I'm not doing anything here. I'm not productive." She said this,standing in doorway to his bathroom after just having a bath. She hada white towel wrapped around her and he could see her bony shouldersand her hair which was starting to grow back was dripping and thedrops of water were traveling down, leaving trails of moisture on herskin ­ like porcelain. She was pigeon toed which was ­ he thought ­totally against the grain of her character but was endearingnonetheless. The first time he'd seen the angry scar on her back,she'd jumped and tried to hide it from him but he'd held her downroughly knowing she wasn't strong enough to fight him off andinspected it to his heart's content. She'd been furious and tearfulbut he didn't want her to be ashamed and he gave her salve to applyevery day and the scar looked lighter now.

"Where would you go?" he asked and her face fell. He understood ­ itsounded like he wouldn't go with her.

"I'm not sure." she said. "Wherever I got a job."

"I don't want to be presumptuous in thinking if you left thatŠ" hesaid. "I won't follow you if you don't want me to."

"I don't want you to follow me Severus." she said, cold now, tired ofbeing damp in nothing but the towel.

"I see." He thought he could hear his heart breaking. The sound of ithitting cement and then someone grinding the pieces into dust with theheel of their shoe.

"I want you to want to come. I want us to go together." He releasedthe breath he'd been holding and suddenly felt like laughing.

"Pathetic." he mumbled picking up her robe and tossing it to her.

"What is?"

"Me. I used to beŠ solitary. I used to be feared and a force to bereckoned with and now I know that I would follow you around like apuppy if you asked me to. What did you do to me, woman?" she smiledsoftly and shrugged.

They packed everything. All the books, the potion ingredients thatwere solely Snape's, his clothes, her clothes, pictures, shampoo,shoes, candles, dinnerware, quills, scarves, hair elastics (unneededfor the moment), and every spare bit of parchment that they owned. Alltheir things were jumbled together in unlabeled boxes (so unlike themboth but that was them before and this was them after) and they sentall the things along to the Italian house (all thought that was thebefore them as well and neither would be happy there and eventuallySnape would buy a home for them in England, near the water) and theyput on their nice clothes and went to see Hermione's parents.

She had imagined this meeting once before, fleetingly, and thenscoffed at the mental picture because she knew it would never happen.Now, she was compulsively smoothing her black skirt and plucking thefuzz off that green silk blouse that was just now fitting again andSeverus was next to her on the sunny porch with wicker furniture,leaning heavily on his cane in his black trousers and a black, muggle,button down shirt that she'd gotten for him and he'd not complainedwhen he put it on. She'd, before they'd left, sat him on the closedtoilet and brushed his wet hair and trimmed all the jagged edges witha pair of scissors and now his hair was neat and shiny and they'd bothgotten their color back and suddenly they weren't weak or sick orrecovering anymore. They were just two people in a very unstable butreal love waiting to meet the parents. She glanced up at him when sherung the bell and his twitched his lips into a brief ghost of a smileand this relaxed her enough so that when her parents flung the dooropen, she could greet them with open arms.

Her parents were so happy to see her alive that it took them close tofive minutes before they noticed Severus on the porch watching thegratuitous display of love with a somewhat detached interest. Herfather gave him a once over but shook his hand and invited him in themodest two story home. Severus stepped in and Hermione clicked thedoor shut behind him.

"This is my mother, Doris, and my father, Charles. Mum, dad, SeverusSnape." she said and the whole thing felt wrong and awkward ­ twoworlds never meant to collide. It was Bruce Wayne standing in the sameroom as bat man. It was a sight she never thought she'd see.

"Nice to meet you." they all murmured and Severus looked ridiculouslyout of place in the home with all its light colors and soft fabrics.He was too tall and too dark and her mother was staring at him like hewas about to pull a rabbit out of a hat and she wanted to be prepared.But they'd both put their wands away and wouldn't take them out unlessit was a life or death situation. Doing magic in front of muggles,even muggles who knew, was simply too much paper work to be worth it.

They sat in the living room and drank tea and Hermione told themskewed half truths about her accident and recovery. She told themabout Harry and they were sad for her though they'd met him onlybriefly on shopping trips to Diagon alley but even then, by her thirdyear she'd learned to do her shopping on her own. Her parents askedhim questions about potions which he answered tactfully ­ "It's likemuggle chemistry" ­ even though he couldn't brew with the precision heonce could. They asked about his parents ­ "Dead" ­ and what he likedabout Hermione.

"She is very intelligent and compassionate and has a most respectablework ethic." he said, and glanced at her. "I also think she's pretty."This seemed to please her parents who asked them to stay the night, atleast, because they must have traveled so far already and left soearly to get there at the time that they did. Hermione didn't botherto explain apparition or magical travel and so they said, yes, theywould spend one night and her mother left to make lunch and her fatherhad to go into the office ­ "Dentist?" Severus asked, confused ­ andshe showed him her bedroom. He laughed when he saw it.

"It's so childish." he said, picking up a stuffed bear and examiningit carefully.

"I was a child here." she reminded him and looked at the small bed."I'll have to transfigure that." she murmured. He nodded. "Thank youfor coming here."

"Your parents seem very nice." he said dutifully. "My parents didn'tlike me and we had a house so large that no one ever had to see anyoneexcept for at meals and this house is very, very different to me." heexplained. "No matter. How are you feeling?"

"Just fine." she said, because he was helping calm her nerves. Shetook out her wand and enlarged the bed ­ "Engorgio," ­ and they laidon the bed together until her mother called for lunch up the stairs.

The day was uneventful. Hermione's mother seemed to be a littlefrightened of Severus and treated Hermione like she was about tobreak. Severus busied himself reading while Hermione helped her motherin the garden. Soon, her father came home and they played a game ofbridge together, after Hermione had explained it to Severus. He'dpicked it up quick and though they didn't win, he seemed to be fairlycomfortable with her family, muggles though they were. After dinner,they escaped upstairs, feigning fatigue. Truthfully, Hermione wastired but she wasn't really sleepy. It was nice to be alone withSeverus and not worried about what her parents might say or do next.At least they'd not brought out baby pictures or home movies of hergetting a bath. If she'd brought Ron home or ­ heaven ­ even Victor itmay have been different but Severus was not a boyfriend, he was alover. He was not a boy, but a man. And after that last battle andmonths of recovery, there was nothing childish left about HermioneGranger.

Now, in the small bedroom made even smaller by the enlarged bed, theyrummaged through their luggage for their night things. Severus hadnever really spent any time in a muggle home and tried not to show hissurprise at the smallest things, like lamps lit by tugging a chain orthe blender or how the starting on car engines punctuated the stillnight air every so often. Hermione pulled her high necked flannelnightgown out of her bag and Severus eyed it with disgust. He hatedthat nightgown, though he understood while she wore it. Hermione,when'd she'd finally gotten around to wearing clothes to bed with him,wore these strappy silk numbers that he'd simply adored. Thisnightgown left everything to the imagination and covered the scar thatdissected her shoulder blades. He could tell she wasn't feeling veryattractive lately with her marred skin and boyish hair cut. He didn'tknow how to tell her she would always be sexy no matter what. The haircut actually suited her ­ she had a lovely neck.

Tonight had been trying, though, and he couldn't stand that nightgownfor one moment more. He startled her snatching it out of her hands buthe shot her a look daring her to say anything and she remained silentas he transfigured it into something much more pleasing. She took itquietly and held it up to her, black satin with spaghetti straps ­ itwould barely cover her bum.

"Better." he said and she looked for a moment as if she might cry butswallowed it back and smiled weakly at him. He pulled her into hisarms and kissed her forehead, her cheekbones, her nose, her lips.They'd not made love since their tumultuous reunion. At first they'dbeen to sick, weak, and tired and now they were both so scared ofbreaking the fragile relationship. It would never be as it had been,but they didn't know where else it could go just yet. He was kissingher now, though, and not in the soft, unsure way his kisses had beenlately. This kiss was much moreŠ Severus. He was rough and demanding,forcing is tongue into her mouth and letting his hands roam freely.The new nightgown was forgotten and was soon hidden under a pile oftheir clothing. A muggle house was no place for silencing charms andso she stifled her giggles, then her moans, and then her screams intothe pale skin of his shoulder.

After, tucked into his arm feeling warm and sated, she turned her headup to look at him.

"Do you still love me?" she asked, quietly, because she could hear herfather watching TV in his study and her mother down the hall in themaster bedroom.

"I never stopped." he assured her. This seemed to appease her and itwasn't long until she fell asleep. A few hours later, she woke upagain, alone in the bed. After waiting a few minutes ­ he could be inthe loo ­ she put on the black nightgown and transfigured her robe tomatch, intent on finding Snape. Her father had always been somewhat ofan insomniac and so she wasn't surprised to see soft light coming fromthe living room. She could hear her father talking and when she heardSeverus talking she stopped and sat near the top of the stairs toocurious to hear what they were talking about to interrupt them.

"She seems different. Like she lost her determination, her drive." herfather was saying, now and Hermione felt tears spring up behind hereyes. Was it that obvious?

"The war wasŠ well. I'm afraid Hermione hasn't been as truthful withyou as she could have been. The war is nearly a decade old and she washurt very badly." he said but her father didn't seem surprised.

"I knew when the letter came that we were giving our daughter up forthe greater good, to that school butŠ" his voice faltered. "And whatof you, Mr. Snape?"

"What of me?" Severus asked, softly. "I plan to leave the schoolpermanently and to marry your daughter, if you'll let me." Hermionewas shocked to hear it. "I am a man of considerable wealth, Mr.Granger, and Hermione will have the best of everything. She'll be ableto pursue any scholarly endeavors she wants." Not needing to hearanymore, Hermione crept back up to bed and fell asleep for the firsttime in a long time without a worry or a care in the world.

In the morning, they dressed and packed and shrunk their luggage andHermione's mother offered to take them all out to breakfast.

"I don't know," Hermione said, glancing at Severus. She rememberedgoing to a Muggle restaurant with him once before but that was justthe two of them and Sunday morning breakfast meant many more screamingchildren.

"Hermione, love, though I am not the most educated man when it comesto Mug ­ when it comes to the non-magical community, I assume that therules are still basically the same? Don't eat with your hands and tipthe waiter?" he asked in a tone that was much more Professor Snapethan she was used to these days. "I would love to go to breakfast, Mr.and Mrs. Granger." he said, smoothly and Hermione blushed. She'dembarrassed herself, really.

Hr mother chose a nice restaurant that they'd often frequented becauseit was near the church. In the garden the day before, Hermione'smother had asked if she'd wanted to go to church in the morning. Shecouldn't imagine Severus setting foot inside a church of any sort andpolitely declined for the both of them. Now, she saw a few faces fromthe congregation that she recognized but Severus was so intimidating ­even when he was trying to be polite and kind ­ that no one approachedthem. Hermione had never been a breakfast person, tea and toast wasmore her style. She didn't like that overly full feeling at all and itwas no way to start her day, full of greasy meat and dairy products.She was just going to order a scone perhaps or a bowl of porridge butwhen the waiter came, Severus ordered eggs and bacon and toast andfruit for the both of them. She bit her tongue while they young mantook their order and then turned to him ready to smack him across theback of his head ­ a gesture she usually saved for Ron Weasley.

"I implore you to not make a scene." he said, quietly, while she wasstill gathering breath in which to yell. "You're all angles and youneed to eat because I've been watching you and don't think I haven'tnoticed the way you push food around your plate." She stopped, hersteam suddenly gone. Her parents watched with interest. Hermione hadalways been bossy and had never liked to stop doing whatever held herfancy to eat or sleep or shop. It'd always been a struggle to get herto eat properly and there for she'd often been underweight and theonly time she ate willingly was when it affected her ability to think.Now with all eyes on her she sucked in her cheeks angrily but saidnothing.

"Good heavens, Mr. Snape, we could have used you when she was achild." her mother said, laughing a bit. Then there was an awkwardpause as everyone internally acknowledged that when Hermione was beinga petulant child, Severus was already an adult.

"Please, call me Severus." he said, gently, not for the first time anddraped his arm over the back of Hermione's chair. She glared at himbut didn't push his arm away and when the food came, she ate over halfof what was in front of her. They didn't need to go back to the houseand so they made another gratuitous display of affection in theparking lot and Severus was glad he didn't have to get back into theautomobile again. He thought it was a metal box of death ­ an accidentwaiting to happen and most people wouldn't disagree. Hermione'sparents kissed her and made her promise to visit more thoroughly whenthey got settled together. Severus shook her father's hand and huggedher mother awkwardly. They waved as her parents drove away and thenstood looking at each other in the parking lot.

"What do you wish to do now, my love?" he asked, watching her facestruggle with emotions ­ missing her family but the relief they wereon their own again.

"I thought we might go shopping in London, if that's all right withyou." she said. "I've not been to Diagon alley in ages." she cockedher head, "Since my NEWTs, I believe."

He looked at her with an eye brow raised looking for all the world asif he was plotting something. "Alright." they went back into therestaurant and snuck together into the ladies room, leaving the doorunlocked and apparated away. (Later, in a line seven people deep, themanager red faced and tired on a Sunday morning knocked politely onthe door. Garnering no response, he tried the handle and found theroom empty, confounding several witnesses who claimed they saw thecouple enter and never leave.)

Now, safely in the wizard part of London, they browsed shops, mostlywindow shopping more than anything else. They went into the book storefor an hour or so but didn't end up buying anything and then stoppedfor lunch and finally, walking past the jewelry store, Severus touchedher arm and said softly,

"Let's go in." She looked at him with a mixture of confusion andsurprise on her face. He didn't know that she'd overheard him speakingwith her father about marriage and she didn't want him to know thatshe knew.

"All right." she said and he held the door open for her. The shop wasempty but soon enough a man emerged from a back room and offered hisassistance which Severus waved off for the moment. Hermione stoodawkwardly in the middle of the room while Severus circled slowly;looking intently into all the glass cases until he found something hefancied and motioned her towards him.

"What of that one?" he asked, pointing towards a ring with a silverband and a square cut diamond that was rather large.

"It's beautiful." she agreed.

"Do you want it?" he asked.

"Severus, that's an engagement ring." she said. He rolled his eyes.

"Yes." he said, patiently.

"Well, you've not even asked me." she said, though what did she expectof him? Bended knee? Roses? Hardly. He looked impatient now.

"Isn't this quite the same?" he asked, pointing to the ring.

"I suppose," she said.

"Good, then. Have a look around and see if there is something betterbut I think this suits you quite well." he said, standing back andwatching for the shop keep who appeared as soon as he was needed.Hermione shook hear head.

"That one is more then fine." she said and the man nodded and took itout of the case, handing it to her. She slid it on and it shrunk tofit her finger perfectly. Sometimes, she loved magic. Severus took outhis wand and paid for the ring and then took her hand to inspect it.

"Beautiful." he said. He looked up at her. "The ring, too." He led hernumbly out of the shop, looking at her hand.

"Wait a minute, what just happened?" she asked. "Are we getting married?"

He drummed his fingers against the small of her back as he led her outof a throng of people to a clearing where they could apparate withoutrisk of splicing themselves in the process.

"Yes." he answered. "Shall we return to Italy?"

"Severus, the one person I told about us was Harry and he's dead now.How is this going toŠ I mean, do we have a wedding? OrŠ how do wizardsget married? And I've not even seen Ron or the WeasleysŠ I don'tŠ" shesaid, sitting down on a bench nearby while she caught her breath. Hekissed her head, her cheek, and let her be silent. Her wheels wereturning.

In Italy, she unpacked while he went to town to gather supplies and dowhatever it was he did when she wasn't with him. She unpacked quickly­ she used magic which was not her style as it tended to wrinkle morethen not ­ and wrote a quick note and left it on the mirror in thebathroom. He returned home and called her name a few times, a littlemystified when he didn't receive a prompt reply. He wandered aroundand pulled out his wand just in case. All the suitcases were empty andthe clothes hung in the closet. He poked his head in the bathroom andsaw the piece of parchment charmed to the mirror. He snatched it downand read it, her script tidy and too familiar.

Severus ­

I've gone to the Weasleys for a few days. I'm not leaving you, pleasedon't overreact. I just wanted to show them the ring and tell them thenews in person. I love you,

Hermione

He crumpled the piece of parchment in his fist and sighed. He, ofcourse, would have to go after her and spend a miserable, undeterminedamount of time with Molly and Arthur Weasley and all their snivelingchildren. He paused, smoothing the note out and reading it again. Hewould give her a day and then he would go.

The Burrow looked just the same. Still teetering and ramshackle, itlooked like a stern Finite Incantatum would bring the house to ruins.She felt immediately guilty that she'd waited so long to come seethem, to come see Ron. Harry's death still seemed somewhat unreal toher but he'd lived months with it already. She'd received a few owlsfrom Mrs. Weasley telling her that everyone was okay ­ Ron had beenscheduled to start auror training in the fall but decided to take ayear off of school and Ginny was at her last year of Hogwarts.Hermione hadn't seen her, hadn't thought, but then she'd done well toavoid the students.

She straightened her shoulders and went to knock on the kitchen door.She could see Mrs. Weasley cleaning up from either lunch or breakfastover the sink. She turned to see who was at the door and her facemelted into a smile.

"Hello, dear, I was hoping you'd come." she said, but not in quite thesame excited, bustling way Hermione was used to. She seemed a littletoo tired.

"I didn't owl ahead, but, I wanted to surprise you, I guess." shesaid, hugging the plump witch fondly.

"This is just fine. It's good to see you up and around. You're sothin." she said, already fretting. "We came and saw you at St. Mungo'sand then again at Hogwarts but we were so afraidŠ well, that's allpast now." Mrs. Weasley took both of her hands and gave them asqueeze. "You can tell me all about that ring after you go see Ron."she whispered and pointed up the stairs.

"Ron." she said, feeling scared all of a sudden.

"He's been unwell since Harry died. It will be good for him to seeyou." Mrs. Weasley said, giving her a push. She took the stairs two ata time and found herself swiftly outside Ron's firmly closed door. Sheknocked and was told to go away but entered anyway.

"I said, I'm not hungry, Mum." he said. He was facing the window,sitting on a wooden chair that Hermione recognized as belonging to thekitchen table downstairs.

"Ron, it's me." she said, and he turned around and looked her up and down.

"Oh. Hullo." She had a flash of memory ­ Snape's utter lack ofexcitement at seeing her awake and upright for the first time inmonths ­ and she felt the anger flair. She was tired of everythingbeing hard and sad and this wasn't where she thought she would be atthis time in her life. Perpetually picking up the pieces.

"I wanted to come see you." she said, flatly. "Make sure you werestill alive and to show you that I was still alive, too." He didn'trespond, just pulled his robe more tightly against him. "I'm gettingmarried." she said.

"What?" he asked and she felt a little smug seeing the surprise in hisface. "To who?"

"Snape." she said, deciding that calling him Severus would be too mean.

"WHAT?" he repeated, standing up and walking over to her, putting hishands on her shoulders. "I thought that was a rumor!"

"It's true." she said, showing him the ring. "And I would appreciateif you were happy for us." Ron looked a little green but nodded. Theold Ron would have never given in so easily and Hermione hugged himlightly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you whenŠ after theŠ you know,with Harry." she said.

He stiffened and drew away. "I thought you were going to die too." he said.

"So they tell me."

"You look really different." he added. "Why did you come here?"

"I was worried about you. I hadn't heard from you." she said. "Wouldyou like me to go?"

He thought about it for a while. "No, I'd like you to stay." he said.

"All right." she said. He sat back in his chair and she sat down onhis bed and they watched the landscape until ­ two days in ­ Severuscame.

Hermione had let Ron call the shots. Mostly they stayed in his roomand didn't talk. She got him to start eating downstairs with hisparents which was a start and they went for a walk every once in awhile but mostly they stayed upstairs and said very little andsometimes Ron would get very angry and start to cry which madeHermione cry and she realized, abruptly, that Harry wasn't going tocome back. She'd come to the burrow to put things into perspective andto help Ron but instead she was letting his depression overtake her ­she was mourning Harry's death in a most unhealthy way.

Ron was asleep on his twin bed when Hermione saw Severus coming up thefront walk of the Burrow. She was in the uncomfortable chair at thewindow and she spun the engagement ring around and around on herfinger, biting her lip. He looked a little irritated and he wore hisblack teaching robes which billowed ominously behind him in a way thatstill gave her a little stab of irrational fear. She'd known threeSnape's since her time at Hogwarts; The frightening professor, theloving professor, and her fiancé. The one approaching her now wasdefinitely the first.

Arthur Weasley had left for work and Hermione vaguely recalled Mollycalling up the stairs about the market or some other errand ­regardless, Ron and herself were the only people home. She heard hisrapping on the door and then she heard him open it. She could hear himstalking around the small, cozy home and then his feet on the stairs.It was only a matter of time before he found them. She jumped with theknob to Ron's door turned slowly with a light creak and then the doorwas open and he was standing there glaring at the both of them.

"Shhh," she said, putting a finger to her lips and motioning towardsthe sleeping boy. Man, now, she supposed. But Ron hadn't been sleepingwell at all and she didn't want to rob him of the few hours he wouldget today. Snape, looking even more upset, pointed out the door andHermione, not in the mood to argue, stood and padded out of thebedroom, closing the door behind her. She looked frightful compared tohis perfectly tailored black robes. She was in a pair of old jean cutoffs and one of Mrs. Weasley's sweaters ­ belonging to either Ginny orGeorge, she wasn't sure ­ and her hair was beginning to grow out inearnest now so it was wildly protruding from her head and the ensemblewas topped off by a big pair of wooly socks that she'd knittedherself. He followed her downstairs and when they stood in the livingroom he looked her top to bottom and shook his head as if to say thatshe would never do.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, finally.

"I left you a noteŠ"

"I got your bloody note." he snarled. "It's not like you to just upand leave like that."

"Ron needed me." she said.

"You couldn't give me the courtesy of a goodbye?" he asked, tired,pinching the bridge of his nose. "I had to come here to fetch you?"

"I told you I would be home in a few days." she said. "In the note."

"Yes, yes, the note." he said. "I was tired of waiting. Have youhelped Weasley?"

"I think so." she said, uncertainly.

"Then you can return to Italy with me." he said.

"So soon?" she asked. "I don't think he's ready."

"It looks like he's dragging you down with him, not you pulling him upHermione." he said, his voice losing its sharp edge. She couldn'targue and looked miserable. He sighed and opened his arms. She huggedhim tightly and he patted her back lightly. "What's wrong ,love?"Ahhh, there was her Snape.

"I miss Harry and Ron is sad and I don't know how to fix any of it."she sobbed into his chest.

"It's not something you can fix." he told her. "He needs time. So doyou. The war is fresh, the whole world is still reeling. The most wecan do is to keep on living."

"I'm trying to do that." she said. "But I don't think Ron knows how.And, and, Mrs. Weasley just lets him sit up there all day and mope."

"Perhaps he ought to leave this place, then." Severus suggested,knowing that he could never stand a place like the Burrow even in hismost stable state of mind.

"Severus!" she exclaimed, stepping back and getting that expressionshe got when she just realized something incredible. He found thatlook of brilliance most delectable. "You're absolutely right!" Hewasn't sure to what she was agreeing but he was pleased to see she'dstopped crying. "Ron'll love your manner and Italy will be just therelief he needs!" she said and shot upstairs to wake and inform Ron.Snape's mouth fell open. That wasn't what he'd meant at all.

They put Ron in different wing, but still. Hermione had bolted upstairs to tell Ron, leaving him speechless on unmatched rugs and then,to make matters worse, Molly Weasley came home while he was standingthere with his jaw practically resting on his well-polished shoes andshe invited him to stay for dinner and took his inability to respondas a yes. Soon, he found himself sitting around her wooded table withthree of the Weasleys in no time at all, Hermione squeezing his legunder the table with Molly looking pleased, Ron looking confused, andArthur doing a poor job of hiding his suspicion.

Then, after some really good chicken, Hermione packed up Ron's thingsand then they climbed into the fireplace and flooed the uncomfortablylong distance to his manor. Ron seemed to understand what washappening less than Severus him self but that did little to comforthim. Hermione looked as cheerful as he'd seen in a while now that shehad a project. It took Ron forever to finally lose that glaze over hiseyes and say, "Wait, hold on..." but he was too far in and there waslittle he could do but hold on.

Severus wanted to give him the help's house where they flooed into butHermione glared that option away and so Severus stopped makingsuggestions and left her to her own devices while he went into thewine cellar to find a bottle of whiskey he knew he'd stored down thereonce for an occasion such as this. He brought two cups up, and thenthree in case he wanted to sedate Hermione later, and sat in thekitchen and when a house elf scurried by, he ordered dinner to beserved in the formal dining room from now on, starting tomorrow.Company was company, after all, he thought. He poured a tall drink.Slytherins had manners, even in the face of two Gryffindors half hisage.

He moved to his study and worked on the article he'd been writingabout his and Hermione's early work the time turning potion. He'dprogressed a lot while she was in her coma, having nothing to fill thevoid in his life with but research. He'd not tested it but he'dalready sold the early rights to an enormous potions company locatedin America while still retaining the right to work on the potionhimself. He'd nearly doubled his already enormous wealth by doing so.He'd not told Hermione but he would. She knocked on his door a whilelater.

"I put him in one of the guest rooms, the blue and while one overlooking the tennis courts." she said from the doorway.

"That will be fine." he said. "However, I don't intend my house to behis personal day spa. He did not come here to wallow in a differentenvironment. You will put him to work or I will."

"That is what I hoped would happen." she said. "I know you'd probablyprefer never to see Ron again but he's my friend and I think I needhim as much as he needs me right now."

"Whatever you wish, dear." he said, dryly and she smacked his armlightly. "I told the elves ­ dinner is to be formal from now on." headded and she rolled her eyes but indulged him as he was indulgingher.

"I'm going to start planning the wedding." she said, a littleuncertainly. "Is there anything particular that you want or somethingI ought to know that I don't?"

"There are people to hire to help you with this." he told her. Sherolled her eyes.

"That's a waste of money." she said.

"Hermione, love, we have money to waste. Hiring a witch will assurethat you don't miss any details from either tradition." he said. Sheknew he was trying to appeal to her sense of logic but he was rightand so she nodded and he told her he'd get her a name by morning.

Hermione watched Ron sleep three days later. It was 2:47 in theafternoon and nearly every time she came to his room, he was asleep inthe bed. She'd given him the room that was decorated all in blue andwhite stripes, with light hardwood floors and a twin bed. He'd justleft his trunk in the middle of the floor and its contents werestarting to creep out across the room. The only time he was out of bedwas to use the bathroom or when Severus insisted he come to the formaldinners he'd started having. Even then, he looked rumpled in his robesand his eyes had a glassy look. He was unresponsive at best. Now, shewatched him determined to get him out of bed and back into the worldof living. Harry had done the same sort of thing after they'd lostSirius but this was much worse and had lasted lots longer. Hermionedid the same thing now that she did to Harry. She filled a largepitcher with water and charmed it to near freezing. Then, soundlessly,she dumped it over his sleeping head.

He sat up with a sputter and she thumped his back harder than strictlynecessary while he coughed. Finally, he pulled himself out of thesoggy bedclothes and glared at her.

"I get the point." he said and trudged into the bathroom leaving wetfootprints behind him to shower and change. She cleaned the mess witha wave of the wand and went downstairs to wait for him. When heappeared in jeans and a white t-shirt with his red hair still damp,she went into the garden and he followed. They walked through thegarden out into the vineyard. She wore a green apron of a sturdymaterial and a large brimmed straw hat to protect her skin from thesun. In the pocket of her apron was a pair of cutters and many green,plastic ties. "What are we doing out here, its bright." he complained.

"We're working outside. Here," she handed him the pliers and producedanother pair for herself. "Cut off all of the larger leaves that aretaking nutrients from the fruit." she ordered, clipping a few of thelarger leaves from the top of the vine. Ron hadn't even noticed thesmall bunches of tiny green grapes at were beginning to form. Hetouched one gently. They were soft. "Then," she continued, "take thegreen ties and help coax the branches into the shape of the wiresupports." she said. "Everything gets too garbled if you let it justnaturally grow. It isn't efficient. But if you do it this way," shedemonstrated by pulling a wayward branch and tying it securely to thewooden frame. "everything is neat and tidy and it makes harvest mucheasier."

Ron, unwilling to admit that the idea of a vineyard was ratherinteresting, looked at her with his hand to his eyes to block the sun."Wouldn't this be easier with magic?" he asked.

"Ronald, sometimes it's better to do things the old fashioned way."

"Magic is the old fashioned way." he said. "Wizards were masteringmagic before muggles had even discovered the wheel."

"The hard way, then. It's better to do it, oh, just do what I say."She said and turned to her part of the vine. They worked quietly for awhile.

"You don't expect us to do this whole vineyard, do you?" he asked,finally, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm and streakingdirt there.

"We'll start with the row just for today." she assured him for she wasnot impervious to the heat herself. "Isn't it nice to be outside?"

"I suppose." he said. The sun was a nice change from being indoors allthe time. It was the first time he'd done something productive sinceHarry died. But that was the problem. He missed Harry when he wasawake. He missed Harry and so all he wanted to do was go back to sleepwhere it was dark and quiet and it didn't hurt quite so badly.

Hermione paused in her snipping and tying when she noticed that Ronhad froze ­ had stopped working and she caught his shoulders shakingout of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, Ron." she said, setting her clippers down and taking his hand.There was nothing to say to soothe or console him for there were nowords she could utter that would bring their best friend back. Allthat would help was the passing of time and perhaps days spent in thesun watching the grapes grow and ripen.

At dinner, Hermione and Severus chatted amiably and Ron, per usual,was mostly quiet until finally he looked up sheepishly and said, "Whatshould I do about this sunburn?" His face was bright red ­ a redunlike the orangey hue of his ginger hair. This red was fierce andwould peel something awful.

"Why didn't you do a sun protection charm?" asked Hermione.

"I'm English! What do I know about the sun?" he said, scratching hisnose and then hissing at the pain.

"Professor Flitwick taught us in our first yearŠ" but she trailed offcatching her faux pas. Professor Flitwick was dead now and they triednot to talk about the war for now, while there was still healing."They are easy." she said, "You two are just the same in some ways."Severus coughed a little, choking on a bite of asparagus, and Ronlooked a little disgusted. Hermione pushed back from the table andwent to fetch the aloe plant she'd retrieved for Severus so long ago.He looked at it unconvinced.

"Isn't there a charm or a potion or something?" he asked.

"Yes, but then how will you learn?" she said, sitting back down andresuming her dinner. Severus felt an unexpected empathy for theWeasley boy and tried to cover it by shoving his mouth full of food."Severus, I was thinking that perhaps Ron could go into town with youtomorrow while I meet with the wedding coordinator." Both men groanedbut did not protest. She smiled.

Hermione always rose unbearably early while Severus would have likedto spend the better morning hours in bed making love to her. But heusually stumbled into wakefulness hours after she'd gone leavingnothing but rumpled sheets and a few strands of hair behind her. Thismorning the heat woke him. He'd kicked off all of the covers and hadalready worked up a fine sheen of sweat. He rolled out of bed andlooked at the clock ­ past ten. The wedding coordinator had been dueat 9:00 and so Severus had no doubt that she'd come and now he and thefuture Mrs. Snape were out somewhere spending half his fortune onflowers and shoes.

He took a shower, a little on the cold side which felt nice, andconsidered, briefly, wearing shorts. But one look at his pale knobbyknees and the thought of the look on Weasley's face if he showed anymore skin then necessary made him cast a cooling charm on his black,linen slacks and dark green, long sleeved shirt. It wouldn't last verylong, probably, but long enough. After this enforced play date withWeasley, all he planned to do was float around his pool and ponderlife while Weasley crawled back into bed, miserable. Happy with theday's projection, he went to the kitchen to have a bit of toast andmaybe an egg.

Ron was waiting for him in the kitchen, miserably pushing someporridge around in his bowl. Severus had hoped he'd not be out of bedyet but the boy was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and some beat uptrainers. How classy. They looked at each other but said nothing. Ashort, burly elf brought breakfast to Severus and he ate it quicklyand efficiently. He had a second cup of tea while he read over theDaily Prophet and finally looked up at Ron.

"When you finish your porridge, we'll go." he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Why do you care if I rot away?" he asked, every surly without Potterthere to supply confidence.

"I care about what Hermione cares about." he said. "Now eat yourbloody porridge and let's get on with it." The porridge in questionwas now cold and sticky and Severus watched Ron shove as much as it onto his spoon as he could ­ which was a lot ­ and shove the entirething into his mouth. After three goes of this, the bowl was all butempty. If this had happened in the Great Hall not so many years ago,Snape would have been disgusted and perhaps assigned a detention withFilch but here he found it almost comical. He found a lot of things tobe less dire these days.

"Done." Ron said. "Where to?"

"The muggle village." Snape said. "The bakery is better there." Ronshrugged and followed him out of the house and to a shed that was onthe far side of the pool behind a green fence. "I bought these a fewyears ago when I found myself going to the muggle village more andmore." he explained, opening the door to the shed with his wand. "Itwas too far to walk and too risky to apparate." Inside the shed weretwo silver vespas with helmets.

"Wicked," Ron said. "Are then enchanted like my dad's car?" he asked.

"No," Snape said drying, handing him a helmet. "They run on gasoline.I don't pretend to understand it but they make the trek to town muchmore enjoyable." After a quick lesson, they set off down the dirt roadin the harsh sun, both having remembered their sun protection charm.

In London, the wedding coordinator had departed with anotherappointment scheduled for two weeks. She'd been undeniably good at herjob but she was like if Professor McGonagall and Rita Skeeter hadsomehow produced an offspring. She was ridiculous and severe all atonce. It was unsettling. Now she was in Muggle London to look atwedding dresses though the coordinator had informed her that if theywere going to have a wedding that leaned towards the wizardtraditions, a Muggle wedding dress would look far too formal and thewhite would be an unusual color choice. Hermione couldn't quite let goof the dream of the perfect wedding she'd had since she was a littlegirl, even if the groom was somewhat different than she'd expected.Perhaps if she found a dress that was understated enough. No beads orexcess ribbon or fabric ­ simple and strapless. She could be happywith that.

She tried several dresses on and asked the store clerk to snap a fewpictures with the camera so she could see them later. The shop girl, amuggle, happily obliged not knowing it was a wizarding camera andinsisted she take several shots of each dress from different angles,even though in the picture, the Hermione would twirl accordingly nomatter what the angle. Hermione couldn't really explain that, though,and so she just smiled and held her tongue.

In Diagon Alley, she decided to look in the bridal shop there. Thegowns were very old fashioned, loose fitting robes. Not meant to bebinding because one was supposed to be connected to nature ­ theceremony was performed barefoot. The robes were lilac, periwinkle,there was an atrocious yellow one. She nearly bumped into PansyParkinson while reaching for the only white robe the store had.

"Granger?" Pansy asked, looking more than a little surprised.

"Hello, Pansy." Hermione replied but was suspicious. Why was she here?Draco and his lot were mostly all in Azkaban and the older generationof death eaters, Snape's generation, were for the most part dead, inhiding, or in prison as well. Hermione noticed her green apron andname tag. "You work here?"

"Yes," Pansy said though she looked loathe to admit it. "I'm anupstanding citizen, you know."

"I see." Hermione said, but she didn't.

"Not all of us Slytherins wanted you-know-who to win." she said, "Itlooks good if I live a clean life and have an honest job. I didn't doanything wrong but I doubt it would take much for me to land the cellnext to Draco. I heard he cut you in two."

"Tried to." Hermione said. She still didn't trust Pansy. Pansyshrugged as if to say she didn't care for Hermione's trust anyhow.

"What are you doing here?" Pansy asked, moving the subject away fromthemes so touchy.

"I'm getting married." Hermione said, surprised she'd not heard.Lucius had assured them, what seemed like ages ago, that everyonewould know about their affair.

"Congratulations." Pansy said. "The world will never be short ofWeasleys." Hermione was confused for a moment. What did the Weasleyshave to do with anything?

"You think I'm marrying Ron?" She asked, laughing. "No, no, Pansy, youreally ARE out of the Slytherin inner circle. And here I thought youwere their queen. I'm marrying Severus Snape."

"Professor Snape?" She asked, her eyes wide. "You?"

"Me. I'll be sure to invite you to the wedding now that I know youwon't try to kill me during." she said. "I've got to run. We'll havetea sometime." And with that, Hermione left ­ a speechless Slytherinin her wake.

They bought Malfoy Manor and gutted it. At first, Hermione had arguedagainst the purchase, saying that the place was probably cursed intooblivion and the moment they set foot inside bad things would happen.Severus assured her that ministry officials had gone over and over theplace and that removing some of the stronger wards would take time butwas not impossible. It also set a good example, taking a place of painand making it livable. All the Malfoys were in prison or dead and sothe house went to the nearest living relative which was Tonks and shepromptly sold it to Hermione and Severus at a very reasonable pricewith no questions asked.

"I haven't been there since I was a child," she'd told them, "And Ivowed never to go back. Awful people, the Malfoys. If I do everreturn, I hope to hardly be able to recognize it."

"I don't think that will be a problem." Severus said, rolling up thedeed and placing it in one of the many pockets deep inside his robes.Hermione missed England. She loved Italy in the summer time but nowthat winter had come, it was barren and it became obvious just howisolated the two of them were in that house. The Malfoy Manor, for allof its dubious history, was a beautiful home in the English countryside ­ easy to apparate to wizard London or floo to Hogwarts or whereever with out it being so long and uncomfortable.

Severus' leg had healed to the point where he no longer had to use hiscane and he only limped when the weather was cold or wet and hisjoints ached. He was making potions again ­ not with the exactness ofbefore because that would never return, but it was not as dire as hehad once thought. They had been married nearly six months.

They started at the top of the house and worked their way down.Hermione gave the elves there all clothing and those who didn't wishto be free were sent to Hogwarts for employment. Hermione didn't wantany elves but Severus ignored her S.P.E.W. days and he would ignoreher now. The elves from the Italy house were sent for.

"We can do the magical cleansing but if you think I will allow you orme to walk around with a mop or a dust rag, you've got another thingcoming." he said.

"You didn't mind watching me mop when I was in detention!" she said.

"You weren't my wife, then." he said. "You were a snotty know-it-allchild who needed to spend an hour cleaning cauldrons if only to keepher and the boy who lived out of another live or death situation forfive minutes!" he shouted. Hermione's face lost its color. They didn'tspeak of Harry, especially in such a disrespectful manner. Snaperealized his mistake immediately and reach for her but she brushed himout and walked out of the attic where they were standing, sortingthrough boxes of Malfoy history. She ran down three flights of stairsand out into the back garden where there was a big tree perfect forclimbing. She was twenty-one now, too old for climbing trees. She wasa married woman, with a huge rock on her left hand to prove it. Thisdidn't matter, now, and she hoisted herself up into the branchesgrateful she was in jeans and an old t-shirt instead of properclothing. The t-shirt was orange and celebrated the Quidditch teamthat Ron fancied. It'd been a birthday gift one year and she wore itmainly to do chores. One of the branches formed a V-shape where shecould sit and have something to lean her back against and she did thisnow, and let a few tears run down her face. What would Harry say now?Here she was married to a man he despised living in the former houseof his arch-nemesis.

If Draco ever got out of Azkaban, he was going to be pissed. This madeher feel marginally better. She wiped her eyes on the back of her handand looked at the ring there. She loved Severus. They had been througha lot together and she knew he respected Harry and what he did to savethe world they lived in. It was just hard for him not to speak badlyof Harry simply because he'd been doing it for so long. SometimesHermione had to fight the urge to call Snape a greasy git when he wasbeing unreasonable even though she didn't think he was a git at all,let alone a greasy one.

She heard a branch break beneath her and she looked down. He wasstaring up at her.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"It's okay." she said.

"Will you come down, now?" he asked.

"I think I'd like to stay here for a while, if that's okay."

"You'll freeze. It will probably snow tonight." he said. It was cold,she could see her breath coming out in little white puffs and the teartracks on her cheeks were nearly frozen. She was shivering. In thesummer this tree would be filled with leaves to shelter her but nowshe must have been easy to find.

"Alright." she said, and climbed down, nearly slipping once butgetting down unscathed. He rubbed his hands briskly on her naked arms.

"I've finished the attic. Would you like to burn some photographs andimportant family documents?" he asked, trying to cheer her up.

"You were friends with the Malfoys." she said. "Draco was your godson.Just because I hate the stupid ferret doesn't mean you need to destroyall evidence of them."

"I tried to save Draco from becoming his father." Severus mused,opening the door for her. "It was just another of my life's failures."Hermione didn't feel like giving him a pep talk at the moment and soshe shrugged and moved into the large library where there was anenormous fire place, already alive with roaring flame. Nearby was abox of things like baby pictures, birth and death certificates, someof Draco's primary school achievements, and other things that musthave had some sort of emotional attachment that Hermione didn'tunderstand. For a moment she thought that burning these things wouldbe wrong, inhumane. But then she remembered that Draco had stuck at axin her back and she tossed the whole box in at once and retreated tothe kitchen to make her self some tea.

It took a year to make the house as they wanted it. Severus hadstarted working in the lab again, slower then he would have liked butworking again all the same. She helped him with the more minute,delicate tasks and they were a good team. They published some in thescientific journals. Hermione decided to take up writing and wouldlock herself away in her office, a small room on the second floor thathad once been a guest bedroom. Now it held a roll top desk, similar tothe one she'd used when she'd taken over for McGonagall. There was afireplace and a window that let the morning sun in. There was a loveseat and a few book shelves that held her favorites, those dog eared,well read novels that she didn't want to get lost in the extensivelibrary that had been formed when she and Severus had combined theircollections, along with what they hadn't tossed from the Malfoycollection. Hermione wrote in the mornings between breakfast and lunchwhile Severus slept or went to town or worked in his lab. They lead aquiet life.

She published her first book in the muggle world. She'd had quiteenough fame as the friend of Harry Potter and so when they asked herto do a book tour she declined. She didn't need the sales, really.

When Dumbledore passed away, Severus was offered the Headmastershiponce again but he declined. He had a love hate relationship with thatschool and he had spent his time there. Over half his life withinthose cold, stone walls. At night, he slept with his arm draped overhis wife. She liked to work in the garden in the afternoons and so herskin was brown and freckled and she always smelled like sunshine.

Hermione got pregnant in the third year of their marriage, but lostthe baby early on. She wrote another book. Her father died of prostatecancer and so, having a huge house and plenty of fresh country air,her mother came to live with them. Severus was dubious at first,having a Muggle move in. But Hermione had been raised Muggle and foundshe preferred to do things without magic. She preferred to wash thedishes by hand and she preferred to hang the laundry out on the line,carrying it on her hip in a wicker basket. The elves were instructedto never do magic around Mrs. Granger and as elves were experts at notbeing seen, it was rarely a problem.

Her mother's memory wasn't quite as strong as it used to be; she hadHermione when she was 40. Mrs. Granger's hair had turned grey and shewas often confused but Severus was endlessly patient with his innatelykind mother-in-law. He took walks with her in the garden, both of themlimping slightly, holding onto each other instead of walking canes. Heliked to hear about her life, to hear about Hermione's precociouschildhood. It was hard to watch her mother's life begin to draw to aclose. Both Hermione and Severus would live, most probably, well pastthe age of 100. At night, Hermione would sit at her mother's feet, asshe did when she was a child, and her mother would tame her daughter'shair into a braid for bed. Her mother's fingers were narrow and deftand she was the only one who could make Hermione's hair look beautifulwithout the use of product or magic.

Severus made Hermione fertility potions in his lab and she took themdutifully and when she got pregnant again, the baby took. Her bellygrew and she carried pregnancy with elegance. At night, when it washard for her to sleep because her ankles were swollen and her back wassore, Severus would rub lotion into her skin with his strong fingersand whisper her to sleep.

 

Silverlake: Authors / Mediums / Titles / Links / List / About / Updates / Silverlake Remix