20

AN: Thanks to Ayerf and Septentrion.

Snape took a moment to gather himself before turning to face Draco. He felt raw from absorbing Hermione's emotions. He hadn't felt so heartsick since Lily died, but this was different. This wasn't his own grief, though it felt just the same. It took him back to that horrible day more powerfully than any guilt trip Dumbledore had ever wrought.

He rested his clenched fists on the windowsill and took one deep breath, exhaling it as silently as possible. It managed, barely, to focus his attention enough for him to reinstate his Occlumency shields.

He turned to find Draco looking at him curiously. There was a hint of pity in the boy's expression he did not like, but he chose to ignore it for the time being. He decided a distraction was needed, and cast his Patronus, summoning Potter. He hoped the boy would understand the message, given there would be no words.

That done, he said to Draco, "Do you feel up for the mission or do you need to rest?"

Draco hesitated, and Snape could see the fear creeping in. "I can give you an invigoration draught if you need one. I will stress that the sooner you go, the sooner you return, and the less suspicion is aroused. There are few things on our side beyond Boy Wonder's fair fortune, and the element of surprise. And I fear that the latter is in grave danger."

Draco swallowed and nodded. "I think an invigoration draught would be a good idea, but otherwise..." He stood straighter, as if the proper posture would provide courage, "I'm-- I'm ready."

Snape snorted mentally, thinking, Like hell you are. Aloud, he said, "Good." He grabbed a small parchment-weight off his desk and cast the Portus spell, then handed the object to Draco. "You will need to tap it with your wand to activate it, but it will bring you back here. Do not delay in activating it."

Draco nodded, more decisively this time. "I will be back as soon as possible, sir. I promise."

Snape eased his posture slightly and smiled at the boy. "I know you will. I have faith in you."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

Snape smiled. "Yes, Draco. Even if I weren't about to give you this," he said, pulling out a small bottle of golden liquid, "I would trust that you would do your utmost to complete this task. Your family's lives are at stake, and I know that is no small matter to you."

Draco's eyes widened when Snape brought out the Felix Felicis, but his face fell a bit at the words that followed.

"That's the only reason?"

Snape snorted – aloud – and shook his head. "If I didn't think you capable, I would not be sending you."

Draco paused. "Ah. Right."

The stairway chimed its movement in his head and Snape handed him the bottle. "I would suggest taking this as soon as you leave this room. There is no telling who will be roaming the halls this morning, and I only trust the invisibility cloak so far."

Draco nodded, looking at the small vial with a wistful wonder.

Snape understood. He stepped behind his desk, and sat down before saying, "It wouldn't have helped you complete your previous mission. You are not a killer."

Draco's jaw clenched, but he gave a small nod. "I know."

"Good. And I hope you also know how valuable that is."

Draco shrugged, but before Snape could explain anything, the door opened. No one appeared until the door shut itself, when Harry Potter's panicked head came into view.

"What's wrong? Where's Hermione?"

"Calm yourself, Potter. Nothing is wrong." Seeing Potter was still looking rather wild-eyed, he added, "Miss Granger is asleep, so was unable to summon you."

Potter looked over at the bedroom door, and heaved a relieved sigh. "Oh. Okay. What's up, then?"

"Draco is ready to go."

Potter looked at Draco with something like surprise. "You sure?"

Draco sneered, though Snape noticed him stretching and clenching his hands in anxiety. "Of course I am."

Potter smiled in a reassuring fashion. "Just making certain, Draco. This is a really big thing you're doing, and I wish I were going with you." Snape closed his eyes in despair, knowing how Draco was going to take that. He was surprised that Potter must have realized the implied insult, as he hastily added, "It would be better than being cooped up, useless in the castle."

Draco snorted. "I hope you're better at saving the world than you are at pep talks, Potter, as that was dreadful."

Potter laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm usually trying to tell everyone to let me do the big, dangerous things by myself, so I don't have a lot of practice at this."

Snape and Draco both snorted. Potter must have seen the disbelief in Snape's face, as he grumbled good-naturedly, "Not that anyone ever listens to me, so my 'stay safe' speeches can't be that good, either."

Feeling perilously close to laughing with the boy, Snape barked, "Time is not standing still. Take Draco by the infirmary for an invigoration draught on your way out. Draco, take the Felix now."

Potter's eyes went wide as Draco brought out the vial of Felix Felicis and popped the top. Snape was preparing himself to abash the boy, when Potter smiled broadly and relaxed.

"Oh, brilliant! Now that's good thinking!"

Snape felt wrong-footed, so he scowled repressively. Potter continued smiling at him, though, even as he said cheekily, "I doubt even Hermione would've thought of that!"

Snape sniffed. "Hermione is not a Potions master with Felix at her disposal. Now go before I give you a well deserved detention."

Potter gave him an odd smile, then opened his cloak and motioned for Draco to join him. Draco balked for a moment before stepping into Potter's space with a grimace.

"If I'd known this was part of the plan, I might not have agreed," his disembodied voice muttered.

"Well, if you want to walk through the halls, fully visible, attracting who knows what attention..."

"Okay, okay. Now shut it. It's too hot in here to have you adding more hot air."

Snape opened the door for them and shooed them out with a harsh, "Quiet, you fools!" before he could give in to the impulse to knock their heads together. There was a trifle more shuffling and violent fabric rustling, but then they seemed to figure things out. The stairs started moving down, and Snape closed the door with a tense sigh.

He figured that if nothing else, the Felix would get Draco out of the castle without notice. Though with Potter as his guide, even that was not necessarily so if the two continued to act like six-year-olds. He shook his head wearily and walked back to his desk. Sitting down, he leaned his head back with a groan, realizing he should have told Potter to come back after the task. Snape needed to tell him about the seventh Horcrux.

He debated with himself on whether to include Hermione in that knowledge and decided he shouldn't. He couldn't trust that she would think with her head rather than her heart in this matter. Especially now that Weasley was gone.

He sighed mournfully, and wondered how things would stand had he been a little less tired on that fateful day last summer. He wondered if Hermione would have died in the course of Bellatrix's torture session, or would Potter's luck have managed to save them yet again? He selfishly hoped that his mistake had saved her life. That having her here, trusting him, befriending him, caring about him, was his reward for that good deed.

He feared, however, that her comforting presence and her reintroducing him to the joys of friendship was punishment for what was to come. He couldn't see how she would feel anything but hatred for him after he led her best friend to the slaughter.

He stared blankly at the items on his desk for a few moments before getting to work. He removed the diadem halves, putting them in a hidden compartment in the lower drawer of his desk. It was a dead object now, no magic left, but he didn't feel right destroying the evidence completely. Not yet. Not unless they failed.

He then tried to heal the rift in his desk, though he found the wood pieces did not want to heal. He assumed the sword had made the gash, and it was probably the basilisk venom that was preventing the two sides from joining up. He debated on leaving the desk as it was, but decided it would be better to transfigure a filler so as to avoid pesky questions in the event that things did not go as planned.

He spent a fair few minutes perfecting the wood grain of the transfigured parchment to match the desk, and he was just sitting down to work on the new paperwork when the stairway chime rang. He looked at the clock, but found it was still unreasonably early. Could something have gone wrong? Was it one of the Carrows come to report a Potter sighting? Or worse, had Potter been captured? His Occlumency shields were still nonexistent.

Palming his wand, he braced himself in a defensive position as the door opened slowly. When no one appeared, he relaxed and returned to his seat. "If you would shut the door, I would appreciate it."

Potter shut the door and took off the cloak. "How did you know it was me?"

"I didn't until no one came in. And notice I still didn't address you by name in case someone had taken your cloak from you."

Potter frowned thoughtfully. Snape didn't point out that his lack of surprise at an invisible enemy would have given him away, nor that Potter's breathing was rather distinctive after a run.

"I am pleased you came back here, as there is a matter I wish to discuss with you."

"Yeah, well, I want to talk to you about something, too."

"Is your subject to do with the war?"

"Not directly. It's about Hermione."

Snape grimaced. He'd hoped that the previous evening had allayed any suspicions or apprehensions Potter might possess on that front.

"Speak your mind, then," he said with a sigh.

Potter looked rather... conflicted. Finally, after Snape waved at him to hurry up, he blurted, "Do you care about Hermione?"

Snape frowned as anger took over. He couldn't believe he had put aside better sense and trusted the boy to be reasonable! He opened his mouth to rip him to shreds when Potter continued.

"It seems like you do, and I know she trusts and likes you. It's just... I don't think I'm going to survive this war. It doesn't seem like I should, anyway. And, with Ron gone, Hermione won't have anyone left, I mean, not really. And so, if you care about her like I think you do, would you, you know, look after her? Be her friend?"

Snape blinked. An unnamed emotion crushed his throat and chest in its iron grip. He wanted to call it hope, but that wasn't quite right. This was bigger than hope. It was closer to awe. Or perhaps he was in shock.

He cleared his throat. "What makes you think my chances of surviving are better than yours?"

Harry shrugged. "You're smart, powerful and knowledgeable. Why wouldn't you?"

Snape wanted to tell Harry that those things didn't guarantee anything, not in war, but refrained. "I have made many enemies on both sides. I have little to... It would complicate things were I to survive."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "You're planning to die?"

Snape released a breath as he realized that wasn't the case anymore. "No. Not precisely. I just don't expect to live. There is a difference."

"But you have to live! You can't..."

"Just because you do not want something does not mean it will not happen. However, it seems I now have something to live for, as I will gladly look after Hermione in your stead, should I survive."

Harry opened his mouth angrily, then closed it again looking nonplussed. "Good. Just, please don't tell her I asked you to. She'll get stroppy about it."

Snape snorted. "I can only imagine."

Harry stood there, looking around the room awkwardly. "And, of course, it's always possible I'll survive..."

Snape sighed, his somewhat good mood vanishing. "That is what I needed to talk to you about." He swallowed and tried to gather the words, but they remained uncharacteristically absent. He had paused long enough to catch Harry's attention, and the boy was now looking directly at him.

"I know where the seventh Horcrux is."

Harry's face lit up. "You do? That's wonderful! So where is..." His speech slowed down as he noticed Snape's face remained grave. "I'm not going to like the answer, am I?"

Snape shook his head.

"It's me, isn't it?"

Snape raised his eyebrow in surprise. "You suspected?"

Harry sat down hard in Hermione's chair, letting out his breath in a gush. "No-o... not exactly. It just... makes sense, I suppose. The connection to his mind, Dumbledore's evasiveness, your... Well, actually, I would think you'd be dancing with glee about this."

Snape shook his head. "I wish many things, Potter, but not your death."

Harry swallowed, looking ill. "So... What happens now? Do I go off myself?"

Snape shook his head again. "No. The Dark Lord must be the one to kill you. Dumbledore was most insistent on that point. He thought it better to wait to tell you until after the Dark Lord started protecting Nagini, but his plans did not involve us being on speaking terms, or my having the knowledge that I do."

"He was a bit of a control freak, wasn't he?"

Snape snorted. "Beyond belief."

They sat there for a couple of moments before Harry said, "So, do you have a plan?"

Snape looked at Harry and saw a man-child who was desperate to unload the burden of responsibility from his shoulders. So desperate that he was finally willing to cede his power to Snape. Snape basked in the deference for a moment, then sighed ruefully.

"I do." Snape summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey and transfigured two glasses. He poured a single shot into both, then handed Harry one. "I plan to summon the Dark Lord and hand you over to him."

Harry looked at him, then at his drink and back at him again. He nodded and threw the liquor back like a pro. His amateur status was quickly revealed, however, in a harsh bout of coughing.

"So," Harry said in a raspy voice, "is this before or after Draco gets back?"

"After, of course. Doing so before we get the cup would be rather foolish."

"And... what then?"

"Well, that rather depends on the circumstances. If Nagini is with the Dark Lord, then we'll somehow create a distraction and kill her."

"My death would be a good distraction, I would think."

"Yes, I imagine it would be." Snape tossed back his shot and poured another shot for each of them. "My concern, however, is if the snake is not with her master. If that is the case, we will need to send someone to find and kill her, preferably before you die."

"Is there any way we could know in advance?"

Snape snorted. "Not without alerting everyone to my duplicity. However, it is possible we could manipulate events to make the Dark Lord aware of his missing soul fragments. If he becomes aware that Nagini is the only spare he has, he will not let her out of his sight. Or so Dumbledore thought."

"How do we do that, though?"

"We sacrifice someone."

Harry had been swirling his whiskey around his glass, but stopped suddenly as he looked up. His face was surprisingly hard.

"No."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"No. I am not going to send someone out to die."

"It might not be up to you."

"It bloody well is up to me."

"Are you in charge?"

"I guess so, yeah!"

"Then what's your plan?"

Harry set the untouched second drink on the desk. "Misinformation. You'll send out word that some student who is a close friend of mine has gone missing, and that student's friends heard him or her talking about going out to find Slytherin's locket. That should get Vol-- him anxious enough to check."

"And who should this friend of yours be?"

"Ginny. Ginny Weasley. She's safely hidden."

"She didn't come back from the Easter break. I need a student who is here."

"Neville, then. He's known to be my friend, he's an active rebel, and even though he hasn't been seen, he's still in the castle."

Snape leaned back. "Longbottom... Now that could work. It could work very well. I suggest you go put this plan into action with Longbottom and his friends. I will do my part at breakfast."

Harry stood up abruptly and then swayed in place. Snape smirked.

"Perhaps you should sit back down and wait a few minutes for the alcohol to dissipate a touch first."

Harry sat, looking vaguely ill. "I think that's a good idea."

Snape summoned a cup of coffee and handed it to the boy. "Drink this."

Harry sniffed the drink before tentatively sipping it. He grimaced at the bitter taste, but continued sipping, nonetheless.

"Did you get me drunk on purpose?"

Snape snorted. "Yes," he said, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "I wanted my wicked way with you."

Harry snorted as he grimaced. "Ew."

"Indeed. I didn't realize you were a lightweight."

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I didn't know it either. Otherwise I might not have drunk that sh-tuff."

Snape raised an eyebrow, and Harry shrugged. The next moment, Harry's face dropped. "What are we going to tell Hermione?"

"I was rather thinking we wouldn't tell her."

"Oh... I don't think that's a good idea. She'll hate you for it."

He sighed unconsciously. "She'll hate me anyway, so that's of little consequence."

"How do you figure that?"

"She has just lost the love of her life whom I could not save, and the next day I break her trust by taking her remaining best friend to the slaughter. What is there not to hate?"

"No, you don't get her. She won't hate you for that. She'll understand. She doesn't blame you for Ron. She won't blame you for me. But she would blame you for not trusting her with the knowledge."

"She is overwrought with grief. She is not thinking clearly."

"Never underestimate Hermione's brains. I don't know anyone who can think under pressure better than she can."

"Your loyalty is touching, but--"

"No, you don't get it. I am alive because of her! She saved us countless times because she can think in any situation! She might break down in tears, but her brain keeps going. She will see the necessity of this."

"She won't be pleased."

Harry's eyes nearly bugged out. "I'm not exactly thrilled with this plan, either! But you told me!"

"You are rather central to the plan, however."

"Hermione will need to know so that she can organize the troops here! We need her to know."

"I was figuring on Minerva for that role."

"Professor McGonagall won't understand! She doesn't know about the Horcruxes!"

Snape was about to say that she did, but realized they hadn't discussed the reasons why they needed the diadem.

"Fine. However, I suggest we wait until the last possible moment to tell her."

"Agreed."

Harry drank the last of his coffee, set the mug down on the desk and got up without wobbling. "I'll go let Neville know the plan. We'll make sure the school is buzzing by breakfast."

"By the by, what are you telling him about these meetings?"

"That I'm talking with a member of the Order who's on staff. I've implied it's Professor McGonagall."

Snape nodded. "Good. Too many people know of my involvement already."

Harry gave him a thoughtful look, which made him add rather forcefully, "The more people who know, the more there are who are at risk."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

He headed to the door, unfurling his cloak from the bundle he'd bunched it into and slipping it on. His disembodied head looked over at Snape one last time, and there was something in his expression that worried Snape.

"Don't do anything rash, Potter. We could still lose if we get careless."

He pulled the cloak over his head and disappeared. "I know, Professor. I'll be careful."

Not reassured in the least, Snape watched the door open and close. He suspected that Harry was about to do something very stupid, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn't even restrain Harry, as then Longbottom et al would set out looking for their missing leader, and everything would be fucked up beyond saving.

He really hated teenagers.

A clock in the cupboard chimed a waking hour, and he stood up and went to the window. He looked out over the misty grounds and tried not to give in to the feeling of helplessness that was threatening to engulf him. Hope was not lost yet. He had survived long enough to do everything that had been required of him by Dumbledore. Now it was just a matter of surviving long enough to see the end of the Dark Lord.

*

He woke Hermione up fifteen minutes before breakfast with a gentle shake of her shoulder.

"A new day has risen," he said as she groaned and tried to burrow under the covers. "And whether we like it or not, it must be met."

"Mmnnrrdy."

"Ready or not, we need to be in the Great Hall in fifteen minutes."

Another inarticulate groan met this, followed by a fairly clear, "Go'way."

"Not until you show signs of movement."

She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. He couldn't help but chuckle; it was a rather evil sound.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

She threw the covers off her face and glared up at him.

"You are an evil bastard."

"Ten points to Gryffindor for being correct, and ten points from Gryffindor for stating the obvious. Now get up!"

She continued to glare, but he saw the corners of her mouth twitch in amusement as she tossed off the covers and got up.

"I was having a good dream, darn you," she said as she stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "I dreamt that Snake Face was nothing more than a metaphor for the evils that we're faced with, and that he was vanquished by tickling his funny bone."

Snape raised an eyebrow and gave her a disgusted look. "And that was a good dream?"

"He had a really silly laugh."

Snape maintained his disgusted look as he shook his head. "I fear for the future of wizarding kind."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Witch-kind will be just fine, however. What time is it?"

"Breakfast time."

She dropped her playful attitude in an instant. "Oh. I guess I'll get ready, then."

Snape cringed inwardly at the change, and wished he could bring back the playful girl. Instead, he watched as a somber woman walked away from him.

"We need to be down there in five minutes," he called out gently, as he left her to her ablutions.

Three minutes later, she entered the office looking rather worn, but tidy.

"I'm ready."

He reluctantly raised his wand and was simultaneously gratified and disturbed that she didn't flinch at the action. Casting Imperio, he sent a quiet thanks for her bravery through the link, and then commanded her to meekly follow him after putting her on the chained leash.

As he walked down the stairs to the Great Hall, he felt disgusting. He was pleased his scowl was commonplace, as he didn't think he would be able to hide it. Practice was only making things worse.

"Morning, Severus," an unwelcome voice said at his shoulder as he entered the Hall's side room. He turned to give Alecto a small smile.

"Morning."

"I hear you had a busy night."

"Indeed I did. Much busier than I expected."

"I heard mutterings about you escorting Draco Malfoy to your office?"

"Mm. I caught the boy helping out one of the rebels," he said, and gestured for her to precede him into the Hall. "It turns out, he's been a rather naughty boy."

Alecto gave a small, incredulous laugh. "Really? And here I thought he was too weak and cowardly to live up to even the fallen Malfoy name. Of course, his being caught does live up to their name, doesn't it?" she added with a laugh.

Snape gave Alecto a quelling look as he sent instructions to Hermione to take her place along the wall as he sat down. He was slightly disappointed to have Alecto choose the seat beside him, but knew this was a good opportunity to pass on the misinformation.

"You judge him on that one failure?"

"No. I judge him by that failure combined with his behavior here this year. He is worthless."

"I beg to differ. He is only seventeen, Alecto. A boy still, even if he has reached his majority. Given time and better circumstances, I could have seen him becoming someone of great worth."

"His circumstances are what he deserves."

"For his father's mistakes? For shame, Alecto."

"Are you questioning our Lord?"

"On this, yes. But then, I am biased. I have known Draco for most of his life and have grown rather fond of him. It pains me to see him abused."

"Hm," Alecto said, serving herself some runny eggs. "What you call abuse, I call justice."

"Our definitions of justice differ. However, last night proved he is not as 'worthless' as you deemed him. He gave me some very interesting information amidst the punishment."

Snape smirked when Alecto's eyes lit up in curiosity. Snape instructed Hermione to inconspicuously watch the teachers for a reaction. "Oh?"

"Indeed. It seems that Neville Longbottom is no longer in the castle. He managed to sneak out unnoticed. Draco overheard a couple of his friends discussing his plans to help the elusive Mr. Potter find something of Salazar Slytherin's."

Alecto's eyes widened. "Something of Slytherin's? But... Did you, he hear what?"

"No. But how many items of Slytherin's can there be left after all this time?"

"The Dark Lord should be made aware of this."

"I agree. However, I find myself loathe to disturb him over this. He hasn't lifted his Summons ban yet, to my knowledge."

"I'll take the message to him tonight, if it's okay with you," Amycus said, leaning across his sister. "I need to chat with Bella anyway."

"That would be most appreciated, Amycus," Snape said, trying not to purr with pleasure. "Give Bellatrix my best."

Both of the Carrows chuckled.

The rest of breakfast went by without incident, though Snape noticed there was a little more activity amongst the students than usual. He hoped it was the rumor mill doing its job. After he'd finished his meal, he stood up to go, giving a mental nudge and a physical tug on the chain to Hermione. Then some male student, he couldn't tell who, had the nerve to yell out, "Pervert!"

Snape stopped, turned and glared, even as his stomach dropped and twisted painfully. The entire hall was silent now. Half the students were looking at their plates, probably to hide their smiles, while the other half were looking around, trying to figure out who the culprit was.

"Prododerium," Snape uttered, quietly. The offending word reversed itself in the hall and returned itself to the Gryffindor table. Seamus Finnigan looked up at him with disgust mixed with defiance.

"Jealous, Finnigan?" Snape drawled clearly. He saw Amycus jump out of his seat and run for the stationary Gryffindor. "I'll want to have an additional word with the boy after you're done, Professor," he called out, then turned and led Hermione out of the Hall.

He held his pace steady until the gargoyle closed, and then he cast a quick Finite to cancel both the Imperius and the mock bondage before lengthening his stride and running full tilt to his bathroom. He barely managed to fall to his knees before retching into the toilet.

Time was immeasurable in that state, but he noticed at some point gentle fingers pulling his hair back, and a cool, wet cloth being laid on his neck. He felt gratitude for the attempt at comfort, even if it didn't really lessen the misery of the moment.

Finally, his stomach stopped contracting, and he sat back on his heels. Hermione wordlessly let his hair down and handed him the washcloth from his neck. He bobbed his head minutely in thanks, and wiped his face with shaking hands.

"Does this happen every time?" Hermione asked quietly.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes closed. He didn't want to see her expression. He couldn't stand to see disgust in her face, too. His face must have shown his emotions, for he felt a small hand rest itself on his shoulder.

"I'm surprised none of the students have noticed how you do protect them," Hermione said gently. "It was very clever to put a limit on what the Carrows can do by promising more punishment."

"He'll still be tortured to within an inch of his life," Snape rasped.

"I know."

His memory flashed to the condition he'd found her in at the Manor, and he found his hand had reflexively gone to hold hers.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said thickly, trying to repress his emotions and failing. "I can't... I have to..."

"Shh," she said, gripping his shoulder. "I know. Shhh."

He felt her other arm come around him, and he tried not to cry. He tried so hard. Everything that had happened, everything he had done, everything he was seen to be and everything he was gathered around his heart and squeezed. He couldn't stop the tears leaking out. He couldn't stop the low keening. He couldn't stop clinging to Hermione. He couldn't keep from rocking.

Hermione held him through it all, cooing comforting nonsense at him until there wasn't a need for it. Even as he regained possession of himself and felt the embarrassment seep in, he found it very difficult to let go of her. Part of him wanted to ascribe it to having absorbed her emotions earlier, but he knew the need for this comfort, for any human touch, came from deep within himself.

"I imagine the Carrows will be coming soon."

"I imagine so," Hermione replied quietly.

He finally dared to open his eyes and look at her, and he was shocked to see tear tracks on her cheeks. He reached out with his free hand and gently rubbed one cheek. "Why?"

She smiled at him in a bemused fashion. "Because you're hurting." She said it as if it was self-evident.

He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then hoisted himself up.

"I am not your burden," he said, offering his hand.

She took his proffered hand, but didn't let go once she was up. "Of course you are. You're my friend. If you hurt, I hurt."

He stared at her some more. "How do you live like that?"

Her face softened in a gentle smile and she gave his hand a squeeze. "Because when you're happy, I'm happy, too."

She let go of his hand and stepped out of the bathroom. Snape followed a step behind, still unsure of what had happened, and what was happening. What he was sure of was that Hermione was special, and there was no way he was going to let her out of his life.

He was almost smiling in the knowledge of what true friendship felt like, when all of sudden, Draco appeared. Snape's mouth widened into a true smile for one moment but vanished when Draco fell onto the floor like a lifeless rag doll.