XVIII

AN: Thanks once more to my lovely ladies, Keladry and Southern, who took the time to read through this for me. Any and all mistakes are my own, though. But you know that already, don't you?

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Hermione didn't sleep very well that night; her dreams were filled with threats and sexual tension that culminated with a physical confrontation with Lucius in the courtroom while Severus, Teddy and Draco just stood by and watched. She woke shortly after that, feeling ill and out of sorts.

She tried rolling over and going back to sleep, but unfortunately, her body wasn't having any of that. A sudden, sharp cramp in her lower-midsection told her all she needed to know about what was going on, and she swore as she made her way to the bathroom for supplies.

After she had dealt with the essentials, she realized she wasn't going to feel any better until she ate, so she reluctantly got dressed and made her way down to the Great Hall.

Early as it was for a Saturday morning, there were a few people already seated throughout the hall, although a quick look found neither Severus nor Harry and Ginny. In fact, the only person at the Gryffindor table was a mousy-looking first-year. Debating with herself, she finally went over to the first-year and asked if she could join him. The boy looked up at her fearfully, but nodded all the same. She smiled kindly at him, then promptly focused her attention on her breakfast.

Three-quarters of the way through her meal, Harry and Ginny showed up and plopped themselves down beside her.

"Morning," Ginny chirruped happily.

Hermione mumbled something back that might have been a greeting without looking up from her porridge.

She felt her friends staring at her and glanced up to find them looking at her with worried expressions.

"You look like shit," Harry said with all the tact of a diplomat. "What happened?"

Hermione shook her head. "Thanks. Nothing. Just didn't sleep very well. And do try to set a better example, Harry," she added, waving in the direction of a few first-years who were just down the table.

Harry's concerned look didn't fade. "Yeah, sorry, but how did the trial go? Did the bastard get off?"

Hermione groaned as her dream came back to her from Harry's inadvertently horrid pun. "No. He got three months."

"Only three months?" Harry yelled, outraged.

"Sh, Harry! Yes, only three months for binding me."

Harry looked mutinous, which did more for improving Hermione's mood than anything else. She smiled fondly at him and patted his arm. "It's okay. I'm just glad he hadn't done anything to get a longer sentence."

"Of course I am, too, but... the bastard should have been put away for life for everything he's done."

Hermione nodded distractedly and shrugged as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "C'est la vie," she said ruefully as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. "There's not much more I can do to get him a longer sentence. And honestly, I'm not sure that Draco didn't give him a worse punishment."

She told them about Draco's actions and how they'd affected Lucius, seeming to drain him of all hope.

Harry harrumphed, still looking upset. "Serves him right."

Hermione shrugged noncommittally and finished off her juice. "Perhaps, but I still feel sorry for him. Yes, everything that's happened to him is his own fault, but at the same time..."

"You've too soft a heart, Hermione," Ginny said matter-of-factly.

Hermione was midway through a shrug when Harry said, "Speaking of which, what did you think I said yesterday?"

Hermione frowned, trying to recall a possible misunderstanding. It didn't take very long to dredge up the conversation he was talking about. She blushed.

"I thought you said, 'And to think you're in love with Snape.' Why? Wasn't that what you said?"

Harry shook his head, looking at her with a serious expression. "No, I said, 'And to think all of that's thanks to Snape.' It never crossed my mind that you might be in love with him." He continued staring at her. "Are you?"

She involuntarily looked over at the staff table, though Severus was still absent. When she looked back at her friends, there was a knowing look on both their faces. She scowled at them. "Of course not! Don't you think it's a bit soon to be talking about love?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, a smirk in place, "you tell us."

Hermione continued scowling and opened her mouth to deny everything, but something stopped her. She closed her mouth and thought about it for a few moments, analyzing her reactions to Severus and how abandoned she'd felt the night before.

"I don't know. I don't think I'm in love with him, but he is growing on me quite a bit. I certainly enjoy his company, and, well, knowing how he feels about me does... It gives me a warm feeling, you know?"

Harry and Ginny traded knowing looks before turning back to her and nodding. Harry looked vaguely disturbed, but Ginny was smiling.

"I'm glad for you," Ginny said. "You deserve to be happy." Harry nodded, although Hermione thought it was lacking in enthusiasm. Not that she blamed him.

"Thanks," she said, then scooted back in preparation to leave. "And now I should get to the library. I didn't get any studying done yesterday!"

Both her friends smiled at that. "So I'm guessing you want your books back?" Harry asked.

Hermione stopped and looked at him sheepishly. "Yes, that might help."

Harry smiled and then, with a flourish, brought her bookbag into view. "I thought we might see you, and, knowing your studying habits..."

Hermione tried to scowl, but couldn't manage it. "Thank you, Harry," she said and kissed his cheek spontaneously. "I'll see you later?"

They nodded, and she took herself off to the library, hoping to get caught up with her planned schedule.

Hermione had been ensconced in the library for more than an hour before someone dared interrupt her studies. Fortunately for the interloper, it was her study partner.

"'Lo," Teddy said, smiling down at her. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, having already sat down.

She smiled back. "Yes, terribly. Would you pass me that blue book, please?"

He chuckled quietly, handed her the book in question and then started unpacking his things.

"So Arithmancy is still the top priority?" he asked, having noted the title of the blue book.

Hermione nodded as she thumbed through the text, looking for the answer she knew was there. "Yes. I've been reviewing my past work, and it's absolutely appalling what I got away with in the last year! No wonder Professor Vector is so upset with me!"

Teddy didn't say anything, and when Hermione glanced up after having found the correct page, she noticed he seemed rather grave.

"What's wrong?"

"Your work is not appalling. It's always been top-notch."

Hermione shook her head. "No, it isn't." She dug out a small pile of parchment rolls and pushed them over to Teddy. "Look at those. You'll see how weak my theories and proofs are. There are holes everywhere in my reasoning."

"Hermione," Teddy said as he read over one of the rolls, "this is from fourth year. And the fact that you're getting into seventh-year theorems without missing a beat shows this as anything but weak."

Hermione made a dismissive noise, although she was once again concentrating on the book in front of her, hurriedly scribbling notes of the relevant passages. "Yes, well, I obviously haven't been keeping up with my usual standard. I've been falling behind."

Teddy snorted mirthlessly. "You mean you aren't as far ahead as you wanted to be."

"Same thing."

Hermione continued writing until Teddy's hand came over and covered hers. "Hermione, you know that whatever grudge Professor Vector's got against you now isn't about your work."

Hermione looked up at him. He seemed very concerned, but also annoyed.

"Maybe so, but if I work hard enough, she'll have to be impressed..." She trailed off as Teddy shook his head.

"That's not how it works, and you know it."

"But maybe why she's upset at me right now is because she thinks that getting married will affect my work? You don't know, but that could be the case!" Hermione said with a pleading note in her voice. "If that's so, I need to show her that she doesn't have anything to worry about!"

"If that's what she's worried about, then she would have eased up on you last lesson. I saw your report, remember, and it was beyond flawless. It was brilliant!"

Hermione blushed, but shook her head. "It only got an Acceptable."

It was Teddy's turn to shake his head. "Did Professor Snape ever give you more than an 'E'?"

Hermione bristled. "No, but you can't compare the two."

Teddy's brows rose. "Yes, I can. Snape's grading is biased; everyone knows that. I expect if we turned in the same paper I would receive an 'O' while you would get an 'E' at best."

"No, we'd both get 'T's for cheating and a few detentions to boot," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

Teddy looked at her for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Okay, fair enough."

Something of the panic Hermione had been feeling eased, and she found herself smiling back. "Although I'll agree that most likely you would get the easier detention."

He laughed some more. "Nah. He'd give you the easier detention since he fancies you."

Hermione blushed again. "Yes, well, the entire argument flies out the window when you take that into account. If I were still his student, he might actually deign to give me an occasional 'O' now as well."

"You think?"

Hermione shrugged and looked down at what she'd written so far. Furrowing her brows, she realized that Teddy was right; what she was writing was well beyond Vector's assigned coursework.

Heaving a sigh, she dropped her quill, whereupon Teddy released her hand. "Fine. I won't obsess on Arithmancy, but I'm still going to try my best to prove to her that I'm not going to go to waste."

Teddy smiled. "Good, cause I have some questions about Muggles that I don't know the answers to."

Hermione laughed and swatted Teddy's hand. "Slytherin," she said with false venom.

He smirked. "Thank you."

They worked the day away, although they were careful not to miss either meal. Hermione wasn't surprised she didn't see Severus at lunch, but when dinner came around, she was slightly concerned that he didn't attend. She and Teddy had wrapped up for the day, so she had hoped Severus would be there to share a walk with afterwards.

For a minute, she was tempted to go down to the dungeons and see him, but it didn't take long to argue herself out of that idea. She didn't want to push him, nor did she want to be a nag, and it didn't matter that she wouldn't be intending to be either of those, but just wanting his company. He would see the pushiness rather than loneliness.

She sighed, said good-bye to her friends, and made her lonesome way up to her room. She tried not to feel sorry for herself while she did so, but failed miserably.

She was shocked that she missed Severus after only one day apart and was trying to ignore what that might mean. Was she in love with him, as Harry and Ginny seemed to think? Was her heart so small that she could fall in love with Snape after only a couple months of mourning Ron?

She tried to remind herself that Ron wouldn't want her to mourn forever. She knew that. At the same time, she still felt like she was betraying his memory by opening her heart to Severus. She felt like her feelings for Ron were a sham if she could get over him so quickly and easily.

She felt like a horrible, selfish person.

She came to her door and unwarded it with a quick wave of her wand. Pushing it open, she found a fire already going, giving the room a welcoming feel.

She looked around, almost expecting someone to be waiting for her in the shadows, but the room was empty. She guessed that a house-elf had come in and started the fire before it left.

She placed her bookbag on her desk and then shrugged off her outer robes. Toeing off her shoes, and undoing her hair, she walked around her room, looking for something to read. It was still too early for bed, and even though she was tempted to work on her Arithmancy essay a bit more, she realized Teddy was right; she needed to ease up on that. So she surveyed her bookshelves.

Looking over all her schoolbooks, and all the books she used to help Harry defeat Voldemort, she came to the Muggle section. Jane Eyre called to her, but for some reason, she felt disinclined to read it. She also passed over Alice in Wonderland and Cannery Row, settling instead for Pride and Prejudice.

Opening the battered book, she tucked herself under the covers of her bed and lost herself in the characters, only releasing the book when sleep finally came, taking her away from the two Fitzwilliams at Rosings Park and into the arms of a dream...

She was walking down a dark corridor, the shadows threatening on all sides. She wasn't afraid, though; she was too excited. She found her progress was lacking, so she broke into a run, racing down the corridor until she came to a dead end with a door.

Without pausing to catch her breath, she burst through the door and found herself in an open field. The sun was bright and the flowers blooming as she wove her way through the grass down to a stream. She looked up and down the riverbanks, but couldn't see what she was looking for, so she headed downstream, following the water as it made its way to the beautiful lake just beyond the bend.

As she walked along the lakeshore, she kept looking around. She knew she was close to what she wanted, but she hadn't found it yet. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around and her face lit up with joy.

There were no words, just contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head down to her level and kissed him. He tasted perfect, and his kiss was all encompassing, leaving her body alive with passion.

He lowered her to the ground, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her neck, her breasts, making his way down her body with rapt attention. She felt him spread her legs as he continued lower, and she ran her hands lovingly through his ginger hair.

He kissed and licked her just as she liked it, bringing her to the edge, but not letting her go over.

"Please," she begged, but he just laughed delightedly.

He crawled up her body, sprinkling kisses along her torso until he was nibbling her neck. She opened her eyes and took his face in her hands, guiding him to her lips as she took in his familiar face.

"Oh, Ron," she gasped as he positioned himself. "Please."

He gave her his tender smile, his blue eyes sparkling with love, and then slid in.

She nearly cried in delight at their joining, having forgotten how wonderful he felt, as if he completed her. She wanted to close her eyes to concentrate on feeling him, on their connection, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his face, thinking for some reason that she wouldn't see him again.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down on her as he moved in her, smiling gratefully when she tilted her hips to meet him every time. He lifted one hand and stroked her face, her hair, her neck.

Her eyes were drifting closed, but still she kept forcing them open, drinking in the sight of him loving her. She fought to keep her eyes open until he lowered his mouth to her ear and murmured softly, "Close your eyes, love."

Obediently, she did as he bid, and the sensations started overwhelming her. He started thrusting a little more forcefully and she could feel his excitement growing. She moved in rhythm, slowly letting go of her inhibitions and letting herself feel him pumping into her, rubbing her, stroking her.

Her nerves were alive and singing before his finger found her clit, and after he did, the nerves consumed her.

She felt her body start to lose control, and then, suddenly, she was on the edge. He thrust and rubbed and sent her flying until she could feel nothing but pleasure as she fell, nerveless, screaming in her pleasure: "Severus!"

She woke up breathing heavily, thoroughly aroused and feeling even guiltier than she had before. What kind of immoral person was she?

Unable to control herself, she cried herself back to sleep, though this time it was untroubled by lovers of any kind, and instead was filled with dread.

Morning came, and Hermione woke up exhausted. She had the vague notion that she'd had disturbing dreams, but the bright light shining through her windows seemed to chase the memories away. She could remember waking up in the middle of the night with an overwhelming sense of guilt, but that didn't fit with the vague images of sunshine and flowers.

She tried to shrug it off as she got up and stumbled, yawning, into the bathroom. If it was important, she would remember, otherwise it was best to forget. However, her body felt as if she had acquired a ball and chain during the night, and she had the unpleasant feeling it was thanks to her subconscious. That or she hadn't got enough sleep.

If she had hoped a shower would wake and cheer her up, she was to be disappointed. She was cleaner but still sleepy and crabby as she made her way to the Great Hall. Unlike the day before, however, she was not one of the first people there.

She sat down hard beside Ginny who was just finishing her plate of fruit and didn't even bother with a greeting.

"Good morning to you, too," Ginny said cheerfully enough to make Hermione cringe.

"Why can't they serve coffee or tea?" Hermione responded grumpily.

Ginny rubbed her back sympathetically, although it was obviously feigned because she said, "What you need is fresh air. Harry and I are going to practice some flying, so why don't you come out to the pitch and watch?"

Hermione looked up at her in blatant disbelief. Ginny scoffed. "Bring a book then, but you need to get out."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And I wasn't out of the castle on Friday?"

"That doesn't count. That was a nasty business, and any fresh air was nullified by the circumstances."

"I didn't realize that fresh air could be nullified."

"It certainly can!" Ginny proclaimed. "But beyond that, Friday was two days ago. Any benefit you might have received has obviously worn off, so you need another dose."

"And what if my exhaustion is due to the fresh air I received?" Hermione griped ill naturedly.

"If you look any crappier for having been outside, I will apologize, promise never to force you out into the open again, and then escort you to Madam Pomfrey. Agreed?"

Harry snorted into his eggs, but Ginny and Hermione ignored him, as they were in the middle of a contest of wills. Unfortunately, Hermione was just too tired to do battle, so she looked away with a frown.

"Fine."

Ginny patted her back once more in mock sympathy while Harry laughed.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you've been spending too much time with Snape."

Hermione screwed up her face and stuck her tongue out at Harry, who just laughed it off and handed her an apple. Fortunately, food did help Hermione's mood improve, so when it came time to leave, she had to pretend reluctance and even that quickly faded away as they walked down to the pitch.

It was a lovely morning. The sun was shining, the cold breeze had gone, and it felt like Spring might make an appearance at any time. She made herself comfortable in a sunny spot in the stands, lounging back in her conjured lawn chair. Closing her eyes, she felt her skin absorbing the sun and smiled.

She would have to admit that Ginny was right, or at least partially so. She wasn't convinced that the air itself was doing her any good, but she could tell that the sun was melting away her bad mood in a way that was almost magical. It was better than magic, in fact, as the thorough warmth and health she was feeling beat out a Cheering Charm any day.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Her eyes popped open as she grabbed her wand and turned in the direction of the voice, nearly panicked. Teddy stood there watching her with quiet amusement.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said, although she wasn't sure she believed him.

She resettled herself in her chair, still panting slightly and then frowned over at him. "You're going to get hexed one of these days if you keep sneaking up on people."

He smiled, conjured a chair of his own and relaxed beside her. "Oh, I'm careful who I startle. I'd never try that on Professor Snape, for example, not that I think I'd be able to sneak up on him in any case."

Hermione's pulse had slowed down and she relaxed. "Mm. Yeah, he knows all the tricks, and I expect he's always aware of what's going on."

Teddy nodded. He was about to say something else when a motion on the pitch caught his attention. Hermione turned to see Harry and Ginny mounting their brooms and then start zooming around the pitch at breakneck speed.

"Ah, so you've come to watch your friends?" Teddy asked, a note of insecurity in his voice.

"More like they dragged me kicking and screaming, but yes." She looked over at him and smiled. "They thought I needed fresh air."

Teddy smiled back. "Do you?"

Hermione looked back at the field and watched as Harry chased Ginny through some complicated looking moves. "Mm. Not air so much as sun."

"I never took you for a sunbather."

"I'm not usually. I have no desire to get skin cancer or sunspots or premature wrinkles, but a nice soak every now and again does seem to do the soul good."

Teddy hummed in agreement, and she looked over to see him relaxing back in his chair, his face at ease and angled up to catch a bit of sun himself.

Smiling, she returned to watching Harry and Ginny chase each other around the pitch, each of them glowing with health, happiness and laughter.

At some point, the repetitive motions of Harry and Ginny circling, combined with the warmth and brightness of the sunshine, forced Hermione's eyes to drift shut, and she fell into a deep, dreamless nap. The next thing she was aware of was whispering.

"She'll probably have a burn, though, and she's not going to be happy about that," one voice said.

"No, but I'm sure Snape would be happy enough to give her something to ease the pain," another voice whispered.

Mirth met that statement. "Maybe, but do you really think he won't blame me for it in the first place? He won't be happy that she's suffered at all," a third voice reasoned.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get an equal share of his blame."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Why? Has he suddenly started hating you?"

"No, but I don't think he's comfortable about Hermione's and my friendship."

"It is just friendship, isn't it?" the lighter voice asked.

"Of course it is! I'm not about to go after any man's wife, let alone Professor Snape's!"

"Good. 'Cause you know that I'd have to hex you if you did have designs on her, right?" the third voice said.

"Erm, before or after Snape killed me?"

"Before. I'd hand you over to him afterwards."

"Right. Well, I'll keep that in mind if I ever do find myself tempted." They all laughed, but then the defendant asked, "Why would you hex me, though? I thought you hated Professor Snape?"

"Yeah, well, in some sick and twisted way I have to consider him my brother now," Harry grumbled much to the amusement of the others.

"Aw, poor baby having an actual family now," Ginny teased.

"Oh, come on, Gin, who in their right mind would be happy about having Snape in their family tree?"

"Hermione seems happy enough," Teddy said bluntly.

Silence met that. Then: "Alright, I'll give you that."

"So, you went with them on Friday?"

"Yeah..."

"So, how did they act around each other?"

Hermione heard someone shifting, and she didn't know whether Teddy was checking to see whether she was still asleep or if he was squirming uncomfortably.

"They... I don't know. They were always touching, like holding hands or whatnot, whenever it was acceptable to do so. She seemed to gravitate towards him and always seemed reluctant to leave his side."

"Careful now, or we'll have to question your feelings more closely," Ginny said lightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You sounded a bit put out."

"Oh, well, maybe I was. Maybe I wanted someone to gravitate towards me like that, too."

"Mm. If you say so," Ginny teased.

"Whatever," Teddy replied just as lightly.

There was a silence then, and Hermione could feel her skin prickling, as if everyone was watching her.

"She is getting pink," Ginny whispered.

"Yeah."

"It was our idea to get her outside, and she might never come out again if she gets too uncomfortable."

"Yeah, but she looks so peaceful. And she's obviously not been sleeping well, so I still say we shouldn't wake her up."

Hermione decided that was her cue to 'wake up.' She opened her eyes to find all three of her friends sitting on the bleachers beside her, staring at her. She started to smile at them, but found a yawn forcing its way out of her along with a leonine-like stretch.

After she recovered herself, she looked back to find her friends grinning.

"Did you have a good rest?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded with a sleepy smile. "Yes, I did. Thanks for the suggestion, Ginny."

Ginny snorted. "I wanted you to come outside. Don't credit me for the nap."

Hermione shrugged good naturedly. "Yes, well, I'm not sure I would have had the nap without the glorious sunshine to relax me. So thanks anyway."

Ginny bit her lip and leaned over to touch Hermione's face with a cool fingertip. "You might not thank me in a few hours, though. You've got a bit of a burn."

Hermione shrugged again, still feeling rather blissed out from her sun-soaked nap. "I'll survive." She sat up and stretched again, trying to wake herself up. "So, how did practice go?"

Harry grinned. "We decided to just have some fun."

"You lost, you mean," Ginny said and tweaked his nose. She turned to Hermione and explained. "We made a bet. I won." She smiled with almost malicious glee. "He just conceded defeat a few minutes ago."

Harry didn't look too put out, though. "What do you have to do?" she asked him.

Both he and Ginny blushed, prompting Hermione and Teddy to throw up their hands in defense. "Never mind, I don't want to know," Hermione said quickly while Teddy nodded vigorously in agreement.

Ginny laughed. "Oh, it's not that bad. I'll just be getting foot and back rubs for the next week."

"And I'm sure that's all," Teddy muttered, squeezing his eyes shut in distaste.

Harry slapped Teddy on the shoulder in a brotherly way and said, "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before."

Hermione and Teddy both groaned.

"I didn't know you'd read Dickens," Hermione said.

Harry looked at her and grinned. "I haven't. I saw the tail end of a program years ago, and that bit stuck in my memory."

"You do realize that those were that character's last words, don't you?"

"I seem to remember that, yeah."

"Then why..." She cut herself off as she saw Harry and Teddy look at each other in amused exasperation. Ginny came round and put an arm around Hermione's shoulder and led her away from the boys.

"He's just being a pillock, is all." Hermione immediately understood and blushed a bit. "So, who's hungry?"

It turned out everyone had a bit of an appetite, so they headed up to the castle. Hermione watched in bemusement as Harry and Teddy joked around with each other in what seemed to be a friendly way while still calling each other stiffly by their surnames. She shrugged, glad that they were at least getting along.

There was a bit of an awkward moment when they reached the Great Hall, however. Teddy was so engrossed in conversation with Harry, he didn't realize they'd made their way to the Gryffindor table until he was about to sit down.

Embarrassed, he looked around at the sea of Gryffindor faces and retreated a step.

"You are welcome to sit here, you know," Hermione pointed out, grinning.

"But only when invited," Harry agreed with mock severity.

Teddy looked around again, then seemed to mentally shrug and sat down beside Harry while Hermione and Ginny sat across from them.

Hermione noticed Teddy getting some odd looks from those who knew him, but he seemed to ignore it admirably enough. She half-listened to Ginny chatter on about various plans she had concerning the coming summer while also half-listening to Harry and Teddy chat about various brooms and Quidditch teams.

She was continuously amazed at how seemingly easy it was for males to bond. A sex joke, a sport and some broom comparisons, and suddenly they were friends. She wished it were that easy for her.

"So what do you think?" Ginny asked.

Hermione look over at her friend and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but I missed the last bit."

Ginny smirked. "I know." She looked over at the boys. "It's good to see them getting along, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"How long do you think it'll take before Harry's on good terms with Snape?"

Hermione snorted. "I think it'll happen around about the time hell freezes over. Even if Harry's open to it, which is unlikely, Severus is less than, er, congenial where Harry's concerned."

"What are you saying about me?" Harry said, cutting into their chat.

"Oh, we were just wondering how long it'll be before we see you chatting with your big brother like this."

Harry looked a bit confused for a moment until he caught on that Ginny was talking about Snape, not the remaining Weasleys. Then he looked unsettled.

"Er..."

The rest of them laughed, though that didn't seem to settle Harry's unease.

"Don't worry, Harry. I won't subject either of you to each other unnecessarily until you're both ready."

"Um, thanks, I s'pose."

The dishes on the tables disappeared at that moment, startling all of them; they hadn't realized how late it had become. They looked at each other, wordlessly asking if any of the others had any ideas for what to do. When no one spoke up, Hermione offered, "Have any of you seen my room yet?"

They all shook their heads, and their course was decided. They spent the rest of the afternoon sequestered in Hermione's sitting room, playing games and chatting about nothing and everything. Teddy looked uncomfortable at first, as if painfully aware that he was just a pale replacement and didn't fit in, but after a few hours, even he started looking a little more comfortable being part of the group. Certainly everyone else was willing to give him a chance.

After what seemed like only minutes, the dinner hour arrived. They made their way downstairs, laughing and joking as if they'd all been friends forever rather than only a few hours. Hermione watched with a full heart, beyond happy that she had such good friends as Harry and Ginny – and now Teddy. She hoped Severus would come around someday. Surely if he loved her, he would at least try to look beyond his hatred of Harry? She sighed, having her bubble of happiness burst just a bit. She knew Severus and Harry would never really get along, not even for her.

She looked up at the staff table for Severus, but found he was missing again. Thinking back, she hadn't noticed him there at lunch either. That was two days he'd been missing from all meals. She knew that teachers were allowed to eat occasional meals in their quarters, but they almost never missed more than two in a row. Not even Severus.

She looked around the hall, thinking she might have missed him somehow, but he wasn't there. She barely noticed when Teddy said good-bye and left for his table, but was aware enough to wave distractedly. She went to sit down with Harry and Ginny, her mind trying to figure out why Severus was missing. She figured if something had happened, she would have been told by someone. As his wife, she would have been alerted, even if it was just Dumbledore telling her that Snape was missing from the castle.

So she assumed he was all right, physically, but thinking about it, she wasn't as certain about his mental state. He'd been fine until they'd left for the Ministry. She'd assumed that he'd just been tense about the trial and having to go to that horrible place, but perhaps she had been wrong. What if something else was the matter?

But he'd seemed fine at Arian's. Well, until he and Draco had gone off wherever they'd gone off to. But then again, he'd been wearing an emotional mask the entire time there, only taking it off once when he'd told them about young Draco.

Her mind was so consumed with the missing Potions master, she didn't even taste her food as she ate it, and as soon as she was done, she said good-bye to Harry and Ginny, telling them that she was off to get something for her burned face.

As she left the hall, however, she heard quick steps behind her. Turning around, she saw Teddy catching up to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, clearly concerned.

She nodded. "Yeah, I just... My face stings a bit, and I thought I'd go see if Severus has anything for it."

She was glad she was burned because at that moment she recalled the conversation she'd overheard, and she would have blushed if she hadn't been pink already. Teddy, however, didn't even bat an eyelash.

He saw through her lie, but nodded anyway. "Shall I walk you there?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. If you haven't finished dinner..."

"I'm done, and if you don't mind, I'd like to escort you. I don't think anyone would dare attack you, but the dungeon still isn't the safest of places."

Hermione wanted to refuse, but knew he had a point. "Thanks."

They headed off down the stairs.

"So, no love letters this weekend?"

Hermione looked at him, confused. He grinned and said, "Befrozen."

Hermione laughed as she remembered those fake love letters she and Severus had exchanged the previous Saturday. "No. No purple prose this weekend. I think that was a one-time deal."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

She sniffed. "Oh, come on, Teddy. Neither Severus nor I are the types to pour our hearts out on a piece of paper. Whether we're romantic or not is going to be a private thing that will just be in our memories."

"You say that as if you haven't heard of Legilimency."

Hermione paled, then blushed at the memory of Snape's mental attack on her, but quickly shook it aside. "Well, I do have basic training in Occlumency, you know. Besides, I doubt anyone's going to be peeking into my mind just to see what romantic trysts Severus and I have had."

Teddy shrugged, a smile still on his face, although it was rather forced. "Well, I think it's a shame you haven't continued with those letters. It's something you could look back at in a hundred years and laugh long and hard over."

"True, but Severus... It's not something... It's more fun when it's spontaneous. If it happens again, I'm not going to put a stop to it, but..."

Teddy seemed to understand, as he didn't press the issue. They soon came to Severus' door, which Hermione knocked on before turning to Teddy to wish him goodnight. Teddy, however, cut her off before she began.

"So, do you want to meet at the library again next Saturday?" he asked hopefully.

"Um, sure. It seems to be working out well."

"I think so as well. I just hope I'm not too much of a bother or strain on your time."

She laughed. "You've been anything but a strain and only a little bit of a bother," she said, the last part teasingly.

"I'm glad to hear it," Teddy said with a soft smile on his face. "I'd hate to think I'm a big bother."

Neither said anything, and just as the silence was about to get awkward, Severus opened his door. Before Severus could even open his mouth to say something, Teddy flashed a smile at Hermione, then left for his common room. Hermione called out thanks and goodnight, to which Teddy called back an echo.

She then turned to find Severus frowning at her, one eyebrow raised in query.

"Yes?" he asked.

His look made her feel like she had done something wrong. "I was wondering if you've got anything for a sunburn."

"To create one or heal one?" he asked snidely, although he moved aside so as to let her enter.

"To heal, if you please," she said archly. She felt wrong-footed with him being so cool to her, and she didn't know what was wrong.

He closed the door behind her, then moved toward the bedroom. "Right this way," he said, indicating she should follow him. Nervous, and not sure why, she followed. He led her to the bathroom and winced when he turned on the bright light. He motioned for her to sit on the toilet while he rummaged through the cabinet beside the sink, muttering under his breath as he did so.

Finally, he retrieved a jar of orange looking goo out of the cabinet and turned to face her. Only then did his scowl change into something less harsh.

"Hm," he said as he approached to observe her face more closely. "You did get a bit too much sun, didn't you?" He stroked her cheek tenderly, barely touching it. When she shivered slightly, he withdrew and asked, "It hurts?"

She shook her head. "No. It doesn't hurt much at all in fact. If I hadn't seen for myself, I wouldn't have known I was burned."

His brows furrowed. "But you're sure it's a sunburn?"

"Almost certain. I fell asleep outside, and it was rather sunny at the time."

"But it's possible someone could have hexed you?" His tone was suddenly sharp.

"No, or at least not likely. Teddy was with me nearly the entire time, not to mention that if someone had been close enough to hex me, Harry and Ginny would have seen it, even if they were busy flying around."

Severus had tensed up at the mention of Teddy but relaxed again when she added the others to the list. "Mm. Likely a burn then."

"Yes, I think so."

He nodded and unscrewed the jar of goo. He then dipped a finger in and carefully applied the paste to her face.

"This will need to be rinsed off in fifteen minutes," he said coolly, tilting his head as he applied the last bits of medicine to her nose and forehead and then rinsed off his hand under the tap.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror and choked back a laugh at the sight. Not only was the paste a vivid orange, but as soon as it was applied, it started expanding into the puffy orange foam that she'd seen used on severe burns.

"I thought this was only for third degree burns," she said, turning to Severus, who was quickly retreating into the dark bedroom.

"It is effective for all burns," was the curt reply.

She edged out of the bathroom, voicing a quiet "nox" as she did. Severus had returned to the sitting room and was waiting rather impatiently at the door.

Feeling insecure, awkward and annoyed, Hermione fidgeted slightly as she came out of the bedroom.

"I get the impression that you're kicking me out, but could I possibly wait until it's time to rinse this stuff off?" she asked, finding her tone was a bit sharper than she'd intended.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a large sigh. He also nodded. "If you must. Just please keep the prattle to a minimum."

Hermione compressed her lips in anger, but as she stood there looking at him, she realized he was obviously hurting, most likely with a headache, judging from his pose.

"To borrow a phrase from Harry, you look like shit. Maybe you should sit down?"

"Before you knocked on the door, I was happily lying down."

"Don't let me stop you," Hermione said, motioning to his bed with a sarcastic flourish. "No need to stand by social conventions around me."

He opened his eyes just enough to glare at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and closed it with a snap. His fingers pinched his brows in what looked like a painful grip, and Hermione backed down.

"Severus, please sit or lie down. I might be able to help."

"You're a Healer now, are you?"

"No, so don't expect a good bedside manner if you keep mouthing off!" she snarled even as she walked up and tenderly took his hand in hers and led him to his bedroom. He grumbled, but didn't protest outright.

She didn't need to prod him into lying back down, but when she went to touch him, he grabbed her wrist in a fierce hold.

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to give you a massage... if you'd release my hand, that is."

He let go of her hand, but continued to glare at her. "I don't see the point."

Hermione closed her eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed. "There isn't much of a point beyond trying to offer you comfort. If it's a tension headache, then I might be able to relieve the pain quite a bit, though I can't promise anything for a migraine."

He clenched his teeth, but waved for her to commence. With a wry grin pulling at her lips, she slid her fingers under his neck and started stroking his scalp and neck. It was awkward, but she didn't feel like they were at a point where she could climb up and straddle him without adding to his already sizable tension.

She must have been doing something right, however, because suddenly he groaned in pleasure. And promptly tensed up, ruining everything she'd done.

"Just relax, Severus," she said in as soothing a voice as she could muster. "I'll take any sounds you make as compliments on my skill."

"And if those sounds consist of oaths?" he said, though he did his best to relax as ordered.

"Then I'll know I'm digging a bit too deep and ease up," she responded with a smile. He didn't see the smile, however, as his eyes had drifted shut.

Despite what she'd told him, he didn't utter another sound. He did, however, let her know that he liked something by smiling. She didn't know if he was aware he was doing it, but she took to watching his face for cues on where he needed work.

She rubbed his neck and head until her face began to itch, signaling it was time to rinse the paste off. Severus was breathing deeply, and he looked so relaxed, she assumed he was asleep. With a last gentle caress, she withdrew her hand and retreated to the bathroom, closing the door before she turned on the light.

When she'd rinsed off completely, she turned off the light and opened the door. The soft light from the sitting room gave the bedroom a dim illumination, enough to see Severus sitting on the bed, rubbing his neck.

"I thought you were asleep," she said, going over to him.

He stretched his neck, making his spine utter some atrocious sounds. "I thought you'd left." His tone was still cool, but not as nasty as before. She lifted a hand to his neck, squeezing it gently.

"Still hurt?" she asked as she rubbed him a bit more.

"Mm," he said in agreement, dropping his chin to his chest to allow her access to the base of his skull.

She took his hint and used her thumbs to try and soothe out the kinks she felt in there. His breath caught and then he sighed, but still he didn't utter a sound.

When her arms got tired, she let them fall to her side.

"Sorry I can't do more."

He shook his head. "Thank you for what you have done. It's more than just a headache, but the tension has been alleviated slightly."

He stretched his neck again, and she shuddered as it popped several more times. He seemed happy with the result, though.

She got up and brushed down her robes in a sudden fit of nerves. She looked around the room and caught sight of the wedding dress still lying on the chair in the corner. She gave a little laugh and went to pick it up, smoothing it out as she did so.

"I didn't realize this had been left behind."

"I suppose the house-elves thought it was mine."

She looked over at him, rolling her eyes as she did. "Yes, you are known for wearing white all the time," she sniped and was pleased to see his lips twitch up.

"And meringue."

She smiled, although it was short lived. "Of course, I'm not exactly known for wearing white, fluffy dresses either."

"With one rather notable exception."

"Yes. With that exception."

She stared at the dress and fingered the lace around the bodice. It really was an awful dress, but she found herself growing attached to it.

"It's horrid, isn't it?" she asked. When Severus didn't respond immediately, she looked up and was startled to see his face turning cold.

"Repulsive." His tone was surprisingly sharp, and he immediately turned and left for the sitting room. She followed him, still holding the dress.

"I'm sorry to have left it mussing up your room."

"It really does not fit in with the current decor," he said mockingly, his voice getting colder.

She looked up just in time to see him turning on his mask, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She looked back down at the dress.

"I..." She let out a sigh, but didn't look up at him.

"Your face will probably be sore tomorrow morning. It might need a bit of murtlap lotion. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have marking to catch up on."

Torn between anger and despair, Hermione threw the dress down and stormed across the room to the door, saying, "Thank you for the burn paste, but I'll not waste your time any more. I'm sure Poppy has the murtlap lotion, so I won't need to bother you."

She got to the door and looked back at Severus, who was standing by his desk scowling at the essays. She felt sorry for those whose work he marked that night.

"Goodnight," she said and then left his quarters, barely able to refrain from slamming the door behind her.