XVI

When Hermione entered the Great Hall the next morning, she was surprised that the stares and whispers were back with a vengeance. All of the students were looking at her, and she was pretty sure it was not just her imagination at work.

Sitting down next to Harry and Ginny, she glanced around the room and was rewarded by several students quickly looking elsewhere. The only students who didn't seem shy about meeting her gaze were the Slytherins, who were eying her speculatively. Teddy, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"What have I done this time?" she asked, looking over at Harry while loading her plate.

Ginny snorted and looked around Harry to explain. "From what I've heard, you've either left Professor Snape, breaking his tender new heart, or Professor Snape kicked you out after realizing what a conniving, manipulative shrew you are. Either way, you're now on par with Mrs. Zabini as a dangerous seductress."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but her mouth thinned. "So everyone's found out we're in separate rooms, then?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah."

"And the fact that we were out all day yesterday? I know some students saw us leave together, so why hasn't that been contributed to the mill?"

Ginny leaned forward a bit more, as did Hermione, to see around Harry. Before Ginny could speak, Harry rolled his eyes and stood up, motioning for Ginny to scoot over into his place, which she gladly did.

"Well, obviously you two were out finalizing your separation," Ginny answered mockingly. She shook her head in disgust. "People will see signs of failure if that's what they expect."

Hermione nodded, adding, "Or if it's what they want."

Harry looked around Ginny at that, obviously confused. "Why would they want your marriage to fail?"

Hermione smiled ruefully. "It's not like Severus or I are the most popular people in the school."

"Also, I think the thought of you two together, especially after your display the other day, scares people," Ginny added thoughtfully. "Here's Professor Snape, a wizard who practically radiates pent up power, rage and Dark Arts, and then there's Hermione, with these newfound powers, and shortened temper... I expect people are afraid that together they'll team up to be the new Dark Couple."

"But that's just stupid," Harry said, the confused look still there.

"I didn't say it wasn't stupid, Harry," Ginny said, tweaking his nose playfully. "I just think that's what most people are thinking."

Hermione looked around and shook her head. "Sometimes I think you give them too much credit. I'm not sure half of them even think about it but just agree with whatever the person next to them says."

Ginny nodded and said, a bit too lightly, "I agree."

Hermione gave Ginny a half-exasperated look before chuckling. She then shook her head, dismissing the topic from her mind; she refused to get worked up about what other people thought. It wasn't their business, and she wasn't going to let it diminish the good-date glow she was still feeling.

She did kind of wonder how everyone came to know about their new situation, though. It wasn't something she had actively hidden, but she also hadn't advertised it – the thought of Severus doing so was ridiculous. She hoped it had nothing to do with Teddy's absence.

---

"Hermione!"

She whipped around, ready to hex the next person who either offered their congratulations on taking Snape down a notch, or who attempted to chastise her for being so heartless. The Langlock Curse was at the tip of her brain before she recognized Teddy.

Debating for a split-second on whether she should cast the curse anyway, she reluctantly put her wand down as he rushed to catch up with her, but her scowl didn't go away.

"Teddy," she greeted coolly with a nod.

He offered her a confused smile. "It's good to see you! I didn't see you around at all yesterday."

"Severus and I were out."

He drew back a little at her harsh tone and creased his brow at her. "Erm, is there something I'm missing here?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh. "How about the school buzz on how I'm now the most heartless woman in Britain – and possibly Europe – because I've cruelly taken poor Professor Snape's heart and have cast Sectumsempra on it until, if rumor is to be believed, he can barely breathe and is a mere shadow of the man he used to be." She threw up her hands and started stalking off. Before she could take two steps, however, Teddy grabbed her arm.

"Why are you so angry at me? It's not like I started the rumor."

"Didn't you?" Hermione charged. When Teddy looked at her with an expression that was both outraged and hurt, she softened a little.

"Teddy, you're the only one who knew about my move."

"I'm not the only one with eyes, though," he said through tight lips.

"No, but considering I haven't been living in the dungeons since Wednesday, and the rumor didn't start till yesterday, what am I to conclude?"

Teddy looked beyond her for a moment before saying, "That the rumor mill was a bit slow?" She laughed, and he smiled wryly. "Seriously, though, I don't see why you automatically assume I started the rumor. Is it because I'm a Slytherin?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but gave him the courtesy of thinking before answering. "Maybe a little, but mostly, everything just added up and pointed toward you. You found out late Saturday and were genuinely surprised, which means that the rumor mill obviously hadn't started yet. I was gone all of Sunday, as was Severus, and no one was around when I left my new rooms. And then... Why weren't you at breakfast?"

Teddy tried to raise one eyebrow at her, though both came up. "It doesn't mean that I started the rumor. It hurts that you think I'd do something that I knew would hurt you."

Hermione looked over his shoulder while pressing her lips together to maintain her composure before looking back at him.

"It hurt to think that you would do something like that, too, but what am I to think, Teddy?" she implored. "You have to admit that the evidence is against you, and I do know that, in general, Slytherins aren't that kindly disposed toward me."

His lips compressed, and he looked insulted. "Don't make this about House politics, Hermione."

"Oh, come on, Teddy! You know as well as I do that I'm not talking about you, but people like Malfoy and Greengrass. I've seen the way they look at me, and, given our past history, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Slytherin who started it."

"I don't know how you do it in Gryffindor, but in Slytherin we like to show respect to our Head of House."

Hermione compressed her lips together so tightly that they threatened to disappear. She breathed in deeply through her nose, certain her nostrils were flaring she was so angry. After counting to ten, she calmed down enough to realize she needed to be blunt. In a reasonable tone, she asked, "When you went back to your common room Saturday night, did you tell anyone where I now live?"

Teddy, similarly angry and tense, nodded. "Yes, I did. For some reason I thought it would be better to tell them I was back after curfew because of your new location rather than have them think less... honorable things."

Hermione's shoulders slumped, and she leaned back against a wall. "Well, thank you for that," she muttered, still not happy but able to see it could have been worse.

Teddy was still angry, though. "You're welcome, but I have to wonder: Had the same circumstantial evidence been there incriminating Potter, would you have assumed he did it?"

"Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at Teddy in bemusement. "Don't be silly."

"How is it silly?" Teddy asked, raising his voice for the first time. "I know we haven't been friends for very long, but surely I've given enough proof that I'm..." He stopped and shook his head. "You know what, never mind."

He turned to walk away, but Hermione grabbed his arm, which he violently shook off.

"Teddy, you can't compare our friendship to mine and Harry's! It isn't fair!" He continued to walk away from her, so she jogged to catch up, pulling him to a stop before he turned into the main corridor.

"Harry and I have been friends for more than six years while you and I have only begun our friendship. Harry is like my brother, and we have been through hell together, so don't you even think of presuming that my level of trust in him should be visited on you! I know Harry. I don't know you. I want to – I think – but you cannot compare yourself with Harry. You will come out the loser if you do that."

Teddy looked away, jaw still clenched, but she could see that he was thinking over what she'd said.

She softened her voice and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I assumed the worst, but can't you see that your information probably sparked the rumors?"

He didn't shake off her hand, but his voice and look were quite cold. "And can't you see that you're incriminating my true friends?"

Hermione drew in a sharp breath and dropped her hand before answering, "I trust Harry with my life, but when it comes to his prejudices, I always take his view with a grain of salt." She then turned and walked away, blinking back tears of distress. She was both relieved and upset that Teddy didn't call her back. She didn't want him to know just how much their argument had upset her.

She knew it had been unfair to accuse him of starting the rumor, but, in effect, he had. He'd given the vultures the information they needed, and she didn't really care if it was a Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor who had actually come up with the theories. He'd provided the fodder, and he should have known better. After all, he could have told them that they'd lost track of time while studying. Everyone would have believed that of her.

She slowly made her way to the Great Hall, adjusting her bag into a more comfortable position several times as she went. She didn't know what to do about the situation. All day had brought confrontations of fairly intense proportions, both effusive and derogatory, and all day she had been ignoring it as best she could. It felt like the wrong approach, but she hadn't had the opportunity to talk it over with Severus. After the last bout of relationship rumors, she didn't want to say anything that might incense him again. But it still felt wrong.

And now her budding friendship with Teddy was under duress. She didn't even know how to feel about that. He seemed like such a nice, intelligent boy, and he'd offered her so much support over the past few days. She genuinely liked him and had been looking forward to their next study session, but now...

And all because he'd opened his mouth to defend her.

She winced at the irony.

So, with these thoughts in mind, she entered the hall for dinner and sat down beside Harry and Ginny with a rather glum expression.

"Rough day?" Ginny asked sympathetically with a friendly rub of the back. Hermione nodded silently as she served herself.

"Anything we can do to make it better?" Harry asked.

She shook her head, answering, "Not unless you can somehow get everyone to stop speculating over things that aren't their business."

"Oh, everyone's still on about those rumors?" Harry asked, his voice conveying just how stupid he thought the rumor mongers were.

She just nodded.

"I'd like to find the source of all this and hex them," Ginny added.

"I don't know that it would make anyone feel better if you did hex him, though," Hermione said, her thoughts still focusing on Teddy and not the current conversation.

Ginny looked over at her and propped her chin on her hand. "You know who started it and you haven't told us?"

Hermione paused mid-bite and looked over at her friends. She noticed at the same time that everyone else at the table was actually minding their own business. It was distinctly odd.

She nodded. "I suspected this morning, and just before I came here... Thing is, I know who gave out the information, but not who came up with the absurd theories, and considering Teddy only gave the information in my defense..."

"Teddy? You mean Theodore Nott?" Harry asked incredulously.

Hermione closed her eyes and nodded.

"You confronted him about it, did you?" Ginny asked and made a sympathetic face when Hermione nodded again stiffly. "What happened?"

Hermione told them. She had got through his comparing their friendships when she noticed the three of them were no longer alone. Looking up, she found Severus standing there in his typical dominating posture with a speculative look on his face.

"Good evening, Severus," she said, not quite sure how much he had overheard or how he would react to her befriending Teddy.

He offered her a grave nod in return. "Madam," he said quite formally. "I have a note for you from our solicitor." He offered her a small, official-looking scroll of parchment. Looking from the roll back up to him, she cocked her head curiously. He didn't offer her any clues but just stared coldly.

"Thank you."

He nodded again curtly, but she thought he seemed to tense up just slightly.

"Good evening," he said before walking up to the staff table. Hermione watched him go, fiddling with the missive nervously. She hoped he was up to something, but she couldn't think what could involve a solicitor. The fact that he was playing along with the rumors was very disquieting.

A nudge in the ribs brought her attention back to the table. No one was minding their own business now, as everyone was looking at either the note or herself.

She looked at Ginny who nodded at the note encouragingly, although she seemed a bit confused.

"It was a rumor, wasn't it?" she whispered. Hermione nodded and slowly unfurled the scroll, reading as she went.

To Ms. Hermione Granger,

First, as one of Severus' oldest friends, let me offer my congratulations on your marriage to the old grease ball. May you suffer the old bugger in equanimity and happiness, if that's at all possible.

Second, as his solicitor, I would like to welcome you and introduce you to my services, although Severus has already taken the liberty of adding you to his Muggle life insurance policy and has adjusted his last will and testament to reflect your new relationship status.

If there is anything I may be of service of for you, please do not hesitate to contact me by owl or Floo.

Please give the bastard my warmest greetings, assuming he hasn't read this already. And, if you have read it, Severus, then let me remind you of the hexes I embed in my notes. I will be checking up on you shortly to see if your lovely new wife has received this. I don't want her getting the impression that you hold all the power, now do I?

Sincerely,

Amanda Prewett, solicitor

Hermione laughed out loud, startling several of the people watching her, and looked up to the staff table. Severus raised a goblet of pumpkin juice to her, and she followed suit, noticing that their actions were being followed by many a confused student.

"What's it say?" Ginny asked, trying to take the scroll from Hermione but pulling back quickly when she got zapped by a privacy hex.

"Oh, it's just a letter welcoming me into Severus' circle," Hermione replied, smiling down at the note again. That's when she noticed a smaller roll of parchment curled up in the bottom of Ms. Prewett's letter.

Curious, she pulled out the smaller scroll. Although it was rolled up, she noticed it was also folded into an envelope. On the front, her name was written in Severus' distinctive scrawl.

Keeping in mind Severus' attitude when he'd handed her the scroll, she cautiously opened the envelope. The instant the letter had opened, a wild rose so red it was almost purple appeared before her on the table. Looking up at the staff table, she could see Severus watching her intently. She made a production of lifting the rose to her nose, making sure everyone in the hall could see it if they wished.

She smiled shyly at Severus and then read the note.

Dear Hermione,

Having done a bit of research on the matter, I have found it is customary to send letters of an amorous intent to the person one is courting. So-called love letters are intended to show the recipient that the sender cares enough to take the time to put their feelings into words and onto parchment.

I am sure you are aware of this custom, however, as you seem to be fairly proficient when it comes to researching all matters.

Nonetheless, I thought I would try my hand at such frivolity.

A large ink blot where, Hermione suspected, he had rested his quill came next, along with a few small doodles.

As you may have determined before this piece of... proof, frivolity is not my strong suit.

Yours,

Severus

Hermione was shaking with suppressed laughter by the time she finished, and only when Harry asked her if she was okay did she raise her face. Before Severus could think she was laughing at him or his attempt at being romantic, she looked up and offered him a brilliant smile. She then took up the rose again, smelling it to hide her giggles.

Her table mates were looking at her very oddly as she tried to compose herself, although most of them weren't going to say anything. Seamus, on the other hand, had never been shy about voicing his thoughts.

"Erm, Hermione, you haven't gone nutters, have you?"

Hermione just started laughing outright, which wasn't very reassuring of her.

"Since when are separation papers served with flowers?" she heard Seamus ask and looked up in time to see Neville rolling his eyes along with half the girls in hearing range.

Still giggling, she looked up at the head table and saw Severus talking with Professor Flitwick. She could almost convince herself that he was blushing, but she quickly discounted that as silly. She had never seen Severus blush and didn't know if he was even capable. He did look uncomfortable, though, as if he was fighting off a smile.

"Why are you laughing?" Ginny whispered in her ear. Hermione looked over and saw Ginny looking at her with a strange mix of amusement, relief and concern. Everyone else at the table was still laughing at Seamus or trying to convince him that red roses were actually symbols of violent hatred.

Looking back to Ginny, Hermione whispered, "Severus does have a sense humor, you know."

Ginny raised her eyebrows doubtfully, but muttered, "He must."

Hermione smiled down at her food, feeling very hopeful suddenly.

All throughout the rest of the meal, she kept sneaking glances at Severus. He seemed to be engrossed in his meal or conversing with the professors around him, but every now and again she would catch him glancing at her. Whenever he did, she would smile at him while unconsciously fingering the wild rose, delicately feeling her way around the thorns and prickles

When she noticed he was finishing up his dinner, she decided it was her turn to make a move. She picked up her belongings, said good-bye to her friends and made her way to the head table.

Severus watched as she made her way to him, raising an eyebrow in question. She smiled, trying to concentrate on Severus, rather than the whispers of the remaining students. They didn't matter.

When she finally reached the table, Severus raised his eyebrow again and said coolly, "Is there something you want, Ms. Granger?"

"Severus!" Minerva exclaimed, irritated.

"Minerva?" he responded, turning his raised eyebrow on her.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you really think that's an appropriate way to address your wife?"

"You'd rather I throw myself over the table and sweep her into a passionate embrace?"

Several staff members snorted, and the Defense teacher was patted on the back in a feeble attempt to help clear his airways.

"Of course not, but you could at least give her the courtesy of referring to her by name."

"Actually, she doesn't mind her husband calling her by her last name," Hermione cut in. "She would much prefer that over some demeaning pet name or even a salacious twist to her given name."

Minerva turned her frosty look on Hermione, then sniffed in defeat. Severus, on the other hand, was looking highly amused.

"And you called yourself helpless," he mused, shaking his head, while giving her a slight smirk.

"That wasn't the point and you know it, but that's neither here nor there. I actually came up to ask if you would care to go for a walk once you've finished with your meal."

"Being terribly forward, aren't you, my dear?" Severus replied, raising his eyebrow in amusement.

She shrugged. "I was under the impression that women were supposed to follow the man's lead only until their wedding night. Now that I'm your wife..."

"I'm afraid Severus is right, dear," Professor Sprout cut in with a kindly smile. "Women are supposed to defer to their husbands in all matters for at least the first year."

"Or at least pretend to," Minerva added with a mischievous glint in her eye while Sprout nodded amiably. "It's standard practice." She leaned forward and added in a stage whisper, "That way they don't see the power shift until it's too late."

Having caught on early, Hermione made a big show of slow comprehension. "Oh! That's different from how it is in the Muggle world now." She turned to Severus, trying very hard to keep a straight face. "I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't know. But of course I can see that you are the master of our proverbial house, and I will follow your lead in all things."

She could see that Severus was trying not to smile. "All things?" he asked innocently.

Hermione looked at him with what she hoped was wide-eyed innocence and replied, "As much as this persistent headache allows."

The whole staff table burst out laughing, and Hermione was a little distressed to see Severus' cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. She offered him an apologetic look, but he shook his head minutely and gave her a fleeting smile.

"Well," she said as the laughter died down, "I'll just go back to the table and wait for your offer of a stroll, then."

Severus chuckled along with everyone else before he pushed back his chair and stood up.

"I don't think there's any need for such a waste of energy, my dear. I find that the idea of stretching my legs has immediate appeal."

He walked around the table and, upon reaching her, offered his arm. Blushing very slightly at the public display, she threaded her arm through his, and they walked out of the hall silently. Both were quite conscious of the bulk of castle's population observing them, and neither wished to have any more of their words twisted for the morning gossip.

Once the doors to the Great Hall closed behind them, Severus turned to Hermione.

"So you wished for a stroll?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, although I must admit I'm not up for anything long. Do you know of any interesting passages in the castle?"

He raised a brow, smirked and said, "I believe I know of a sufficiently interesting passage, yes, but perhaps we should first make a detour to your rooms?" he asked.

She wasn't sure what he meant until he gave her shoulder a meaningful glance, reminding her of her heavy bookbag.

"Yes," she said, smiling in response.

Once they had successfully dropped off Hermione's belongings, he led her up a couple flights of stairs.

"Thank you for the flower and the note," Hermione said after they had reached a small corridor. "They were perfect."

He looked at her quizzically. "Perfect?"

"Yes, perfect."

"In what respect were they perfect?" he asked. She detected a small modulation in his voice that made him sound almost insecure.

"Well, not only was it a perfect way to dispel all the stupid rumors that have been floating about today, but it was also a much needed mood lifter and very..." She paused, not wanting to offend him with the wrong word, "gratifying."

She looked up at him in time to see his jaw clench slightly. Knowing she had misjudged, she turned to him and playfully added, "If it had been from anyone else, I would have called it incredibly sweet and endearing, but I wouldn't want to offend you with such soppy terms."

His jaw relaxed and he shot her a wry smirk. "I thought you might be in need of assistance since I heard you had decided to remain admirably mum on the subject."

She shot him a wry grin of her own and nodded. "Well, I wanted to follow your lead, like a good wife should."

He graced her with a deep chuckle that echoed down the hallway and then, almost before she knew what was happening, he had changed their positions and was leading her in a graceful waltz down the empty corridor.

Her instinctive reaction was to tense up and struggle, but he shook his head with a slight smile. "Ah-ah-ah," he rebuked, looking at her with an inscrutable expression. "It's my lead."

She laughed at that and relaxed, finding he was a good guide as they danced down the corridor. A small pressure here, a slight pull there, and they moved in near-perfect accord, although she was sure her movements weren't nearly as graceful as his were.

He continued dancing as they reached the end of the hall, carefully maneuvering them through the narrow doorway, although Hermione barely noticed her surroundings. Her attention was on him and the way his face had relaxed into an expression very close to the one he'd worn when under the influence of the Calming Draught. He looked almost happy.

She found herself smiling up at him and was rewarded with a small grin in return.

He slowed their gait as he led them around in a large circle, finally ending the dance with a slow, shallow dip.

Hermione's eyes never left his through the entire move, and she was mesmerized. He was so intense and yet so gentle; so sure footed, and yet she saw glimpses of insecurity flit over his face. She saw so much passion, but the dance had remained light and playful until that moment.

She thought he was going to kiss her lips as he gently brought her back up, but instead he backed off and bowed, kissing her hand.

She was surprised by how disappointed she was.

"Thank you for the dance," she said, curtsying politely, glad that he had at least continued holding her hand.

"It didn't aggravate your headache, I hope?" he asked, a playful glint in his eye.

"No, not at all." She smiled back rather mischievously. "In fact, I do believe it helped relieve it a bit."

His eyebrow went up enticingly. "Is that so?" He took a small step forward.

She nodded wordlessly, suddenly feeling rather breathless. She found herself holding her breath as he leaned forward. Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips brushed hers, allowing her to concentrate on the feeling of his lips as they explored hers ever so lightly and tenderly.

She only realized her lips had parted when he took possession of the bottom lip, gently pulling it between his soft lips and tentatively caressing it with his tongue. A quiet moan escaped from her throat, answered almost immediately by an increase of pressure.

The kiss evolved from a gentle, tender expression to something much more passionate rather quickly. Soon, she felt as if she was drowning not only in his lust, but her own. She was becoming very aware of how empty she felt and wanted nothing more than to banish that feeling with him filling her.

Suddenly he pulled back, leaving her breathless, but she was gratified to find his breaths were coming in rather laboriously as well. He rested his forehead lightly on hers for a moment before sliding over to her ear.

"And how is your head now?" he murmured silkily before backing away from her. She reflexively tightened her hold on his robes, preventing his retreat even as her mind started thrumming with questions – how fast did she actually want to go? How far?

How did she feel about him?

He was staring at her, his expression intense but unreadable, and she knew he was leaving the next move up to her.

How do I feel about him?

It was that question that had her loosening her grip on his robes and smoothing them out, symbolically pushing him away from her. It was too soon. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to use him.

"Peskily aching," she murmured back softly, focusing on her task of smoothing out his robes and avoiding his gaze.

His finger came under her chin and gently forced her to look up at him. She was pleased, but surprised, to find he was smiling at her tenderly.

"Let me know when it's better?"

She ducked her head shyly and nodded.

With her head bent, she was perfectly positioned to notice him offering his hand. She looked up at him with a shy smile and accepted his gesture, weaving her fingers through his. He smiled back, and then led her to the nearest window.

She looked out upon the dark land before her and was awed by the subtle gradations of light that the waning moon cast upon the earth. The bare hills looked like dark velvet above the spotty highlights of the trees below.

"This is where I come when I'm troubled. I find this view more calming than any other offered by the school."

She turned to look at him, a slight frown creasing her brow.

"Are you troubled now?"

"No, but I had the impression you might be."

She looked back out upon the view, her frown intensifying. For a few wonderful moments, she had forgotten about Teddy and their argument. She was slightly annoyed with Severus for ruining the moment, even if it was his concern that prompted the remark.

Partly due to her annoyance, and partly due to the subject of the annoying matter, she remained silent as she looked out at the land, trying to recapture the peace she'd felt before.

"I hope you know that you can talk to me as well," Severus said, squeezing her hand supportively.

She sighed and looked down at the windowsill.

"How much did you overhear?" she asked softly.

"You and Mr. Nott had a disagreement?"

She snorted. "Yes, you could say that." She looked up at him, observing him shrewdly. "What is it you want to know?"

He sighed and looked at her with a slightly put-out expression. "You aren't going to let me be the least bit subtle, are you?"

She snorted softly with a smile. "No, I'm not."

His lips thinned in disapproval, and he looked back out the window. She was beginning to think he would rather forgo knowledge than subtlety when he said, "I wasn't aware that you and Mr. Nott were in a position to get into disagreements."

She smiled in acknowledgment of his concession and told him about how she and Teddy were starting to become friends. Severus listened quietly as she told him about finding the perfect study partner in Teddy and how kind and supportive he'd been when she'd needed a shoulder to lean on the last few days. She told Severus how they had simply clicked, and it seemed as if she had found someone who really understood her. She ended with the rumors and how Teddy was involved, leading to their argument.

She felt a burden lift from her shoulders and realized in that moment how much she'd wanted to share her new friendship with Severus. However, when she looked at Severus' carefully blank face, she also realized that she'd been fairly enthusiastic about someone her husband had considered a rival, so she quickly added, "Thank you for listening to me, Severus. I didn't realize how much I'd wanted to tell you about Teddy."

He raised a dark eyebrow at her. He didn't say anything, but she could feel the question on his mind.

She stepped forward and took his other hand in hers before smiling up at him. "You've been answering so many of my questions, and I haven't really had the chance to reciprocate. That doesn't seem very fair to me."

One side of his mouth curled up, although she couldn't tell if it was from good humor or bad. "If I had known you were sharing only for a sense of fair play..."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Hermione said sharply. When the other side of his mouth joined the first in a slight curl, she knew he was teasing her. She tried to let go of his hand so she could playfully slap him, but he seemed to know what was on her mind and held fast, pulling her closer to him.

"You didn't let me finish," he murmured softly, relaxing his grip slightly. "If I had known you were sharing only for a sense of fair play, then I would have started telling you about myself weeks ago."

His expression softened as he smiled down at her. "Thank you for telling me about Mr. Nott, Hermione. I'm glad you've finally found an intelligent friend – no offense to Mrs. Potter."

He allowed her hand to escape for one well-deserved slap on the arm before recapturing it and kissing it in a courtly manner.

She raised her face to smile up at him, but was mortified when instead of a grin, she offered him a yawn. He chuckled and gathered her into his arms for an impromptu hug. She relished the feel of his arms surrounding her, even as she marveled at his being capable of such tender spontaneity.

"I do believe that is my cue to return you to your quarters," he said into her hair, not having released her.

She nodded in agreement, loath though she was to let go of such freely offered comfort. Seeming to sense this, or perhaps a little reluctant to let go of her himself, he wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her to his side as he slowly led the way back to her quarters.

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached her door when the silence suddenly became tense. They'd returned to holding hands at some point, and they both took to staring at their intertwined fingers.

"Thank you for showing me a different view," Hermione finally said, knowing it wasn't as subtle as she wanted, but hoped he would appreciate the effort.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Perhaps by the end of the year I will have been able to show you all of my favorite spots."

She looked at him and smiled when he finally returned her gaze. "I'd like that, and I'd like to show you some of mine, as well, if you'd like."

He smiled gently, bringing up a hand to caress her cheek. "Yes, I'd like that."

"And perhaps," she added, still leaning into his touch, "we might even discover a few new spots together."

He nodded and then leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the lips before backing away. "Sleep well, my dear."

She smiled up at him tenderly. "Good night, Severus."

Their fingers finally reached their limits, and they parted, leaving Hermione a bit surprised at how lonely it felt letting him go.

With another gentle smile, she turned and entered her quarters, very hopeful that she would indeed sleep well that night.

---

AN: Thank you both Southern and Keladry for your support and sharp eyes! Any mistakes left are obviously my own fault, though.

A leopard may not change his spots, but panthers hide them well. Snape may seem OOC, but perhaps, just perhaps, he has found a reason to reveal some of those beautiful hidden spots to someone for whom he cares. As for Amanda Prewett, she's obviously related to Molly Weasley somehow, but the genealogy charts got lost in the mail. Let's just call her 'cousin,' shall we?

Next chapter will be Lucius' trial. Yes, can you believe it? I will actually be skipping (or skimming through) a few days for the sake of forward progress. ;-)

Also, if interested, here's an image I made up for this chapter while the muse was off in Lalaland: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/51476424/