Chapter Three

The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

This was officially the oddest start to a school year Professor Granger had experienced since her days as a student.

His odd behaviour had started the evening of the Welcoming Feast. She had felt his eyes on her throughout the evening and had immediately worried that he was upset with her over some perceived, unintended slight. However, to her utter astonishment, he had accused her of nothing. Instead, over the next few days, she found him acknowledging her in the halls instead of simply acting as if she didn't exist. It seemed that suddenly, five years after Hermione had begun teaching at Hogwarts, Professor Snape had recalled the fact that Hermione Granger was his colleague and not a student playing dress-up.

Hermione at first had been stunned and pleased, but as the days had passed the pleasure had dissolved into complete confusion. She couldn't fathom why he had so drastically changed his behaviour toward her. There was no accounting for it. Why would he suddenly regard her as a person worth noting after five years of indifference? What had she done to deserve his sudden respect?

Then there had been the incident about two weeks into the school year, which had served to further confuse her.

Hermione had nearly stumbled over her own feet at the sight of him holding the door to the Great Hall open for her, an amused smirk stretching across his face. What had shocked her the most, however, had been what followed that particular act. It was so shocking that her brain had actually rebelled as it had happened. The idea that he was truly asking her if she was interested in sitting next to him at dinner was simply too incongruous with what she knew of him. But as she had heard him drawl casually, In order to more easily converse, she couldn't deny that he had indeed extended such an offer. Though, it had taken her a full thirty second to realise it. Seconds that had stretch before her, each an eternity, as she stood with her feet frozen to a spot on the floor that was just steps from the doors while the strange dark man proceeded to the High Table and pulled out a chair for her. It wasn't until he looked down at her with a look of amused exasperation on his face that she had managed to shake herself out of the stupor and make her way to the table, all the while trying to hide to her surprise and failing miserably. That evening they had managed to pass the meal with amiable, if slightly stiff, conversation, and Hermione had left the Great Hall hovering somewhere between completely thrilled and completely baffled.

Despite her lack of understanding as to the source of his change in behaviour, Hermione could only guess that he had enjoyed their conversation well enough, as he had ensured that she sat next to him for the meals that followed. Over the next days and weeks it had become clear that, no matter what had brought it about, the change in him was here to stay.

It had been a wonder-filled time for Hermione, those weeks of conversing with the intelligent man. Though, Hermione couldn't help but feel at times as if she were simply waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to reveal what it was he really wanted. Her brain continually reminded her that he couldn't genuinely be interested in getting to know her, especially after so many years of cold indifference. After all, she was the know-it-all Gryffindor princess, and it went against the grain of everything she knew about the man for him to take any interest in her.

So, then, why would he change so suddenly?

Not that Hermione didn't enjoying talking to him; she did, but she couldn't allow herself to get attached to his company only to have him withdraw at a later date. Her life was built on a carefully balanced set of parameters, each one delicately weighed and tended by Hermione in order to maintain her sanity. As he gradually intruded upon her life, first with acknowledgement and then with conversation and blossoming friendship, she felt the key parameters that were the constants within the equation of her life beginning to shift, dangerously so.

Suspicious and wary, she realised that if she embraced the changes his presence brought and he turned out to abandon her in the end, she would be left with nothing but a house of fallen cards. In the end, however, she decided that it was probably wisest to enjoy the little blessings life brought while waiting and watching for him to reveal his motive. She would deal with the aftermath when the time came, whatever it might be.

~o~o~o~

It was five weeks into the confused but growing friendship between Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, as her world was slowly losing balance, that she felt it: Her first fail-safe had been activated. Someone was close to solving the puzzle. They hadn't progressed past her fail-safe yet. Indeed, each time they reworked the section she would be alerted, but she knew now that it would only a matter of time.

While the level-headed part of her merely questioned how one of her students could be so close to solving it, especially so early in the year, the other, more emotional part of her was desperate to discover who it was. Her secret was in danger. Someone would know, and although they would be magically bound to keep it a secret, they could still ruin everything.

She couldn't help but reflect on the absolute irony of the situation. Just when she had started making progress toward finding some real happiness in life, finding a friend who valued her as a thinking human being, it was all being threatened. After so long living a lonely existence, this year's changes had made for a refreshing change. She was finally making progress on achieving one of her deepest desires, and this could ruin everything. Still, she knew there was nothing to be done, and she would simply have to wait until whoever it was finished their work. Her final fail-safe would ensure that she would be magically Summoned to the side of the person just before the last sequence was completed.

Now it was only a matter of time and patient waiting.

~o~o~o~

He'd almost solved it. There were only two sequences left, but he had grown tired and decided to try again when his mind was fresh and the day was new. However, he had not missed the alert that had been incorporated into the equation. No. He knew she was now aware that someone was close to solving it, and it was with interest he watched the next morning as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast.

As Hermione sat down next to him, he couldn't miss that she looked an absolute mess. Sipping his coffee while coolly masking his surprise, he took in her appearance. Her hair was uncombed; her eyes were tinged with red, dark circles shadowing them. Her state thoroughly shocked him; he had not expected her to be so deeply affected by someone getting close to solving her equation. For a moment he wondered why this was; it was simply a puzzle, something for the students. Was it not?

It was only then that he remembered... It was not simply an encoded puzzle or a game for her students; it was an encoded secret. He'd completely forgotten the parameters of the original challenge she had set five years earlier. It was clear to him now as he observed the haggard woman sitting next to him that, whatever the secret was, she was obviously not looking forward to it being shared.

He was appalled to find that the first course of action to come to him was the complete abandonment of the task right then and there. Cringing at the Hufflepuffian sentiment, he couldn't help but remember how over the past few weeks their conversations had shown to him what a rare and beautiful person Hermione was. He had truly started to hope that in her he could have a true friend.

Perhaps it would be best to talk to her, he considered silently, the familiar feeling of worry pricking at his conscience. He reasoned that speaking to her would enable him to assure her of the safety of her secret, should he discover it. Then again, such an admission would force him to acknowledge his interest in her puzzle in the first place, and he'd have to explain how he'd taken the time to break into her classroom. Perhaps not, he finally decided, resolving that he would simply have to decode it as quickly as possible. It would be like pulling off a plaster. When the unpleasantness was over and she was assured of her secret's safety, she could go back to being happy.

It wasn't until the half-hour preceding that evening's dinner that he had managed to crack through the next to last sequence...

~o~o~o~

The quiet of the Great Hall enveloped Severus as he sat with his head drawn down over a pile of parchments, his reading glasses perched precariously on his face. He had opted to work in the quiet of the Great Hall so as to maximize the time he had before the start of the final meal of the day.

~o~o~o~

Twenty minutes before the evening meal, Hermione stood in surprise as the magic activated and the Summons began. Resigned to her fate, she walked through the halls of Hogwarts, allowing the pull of then Summons to guide her way.

The door to the Great Hall slammed open, and a breathless Hermione Granger stumbled through. Immediately, her eyes scanned the house tables for the student.

Who is it? Who is it? she chanted silently, her eyes darting up and down the tables with frantic haste.

She could see no one, but refused to believe it. But no matter how she strained her eyes, the tables remained completely void of students. The Great Hall was empty.

Confused and irrational relief coursed through her. Perhaps there was a mistake; perhaps this had been a false alarm.

Hermione propelled herself forward with hurried steps, bringing herself further into the hall as she shook the foolish notion from her head. There was no such thing as a false alarm when it came to her Arithmancy puzzle.

Desperate, she knew that she needed to find who it was, and quickly. With only ten minutes until students began trickling into the hall, she couldn't afford to delay. She didn't want anyone else aware of the events just yet. After five years of the puzzle remaining unsolved, there was no doubt in her mind that when word got out that a student had solved the puzzle, interest in the content of secret would grow exponentially.

Hermione jumped as the sound of someone clearing a throat echoed behind her. She froze as her mind reeled, the implications of the person's location striking in a single blast. The sound was coming from the table on the dais reserved for the Professors.

The High Table? It is a teacher. Holy Merlin!

This was the worst case scenario. A student she could take, but not a colleague. Never a colleague. She hadn't even ever considered it; there were too many ways that they could meddle.

Then her mind was filled with a single frantic plea as this new reality took shape. Please, don't be him. Please!

Slowly, she turned to find the familiar black eyes of Severus Snape peering back at her.

Hermione's heart sank to her feet as the carefully crafted balance of her life tumbled around her.

Severus watched as the witch turned around to face him, her hands shaking and wild locks framing her face. As her eyes met his they flooded with something, a realisation of horror, or fear, or disappointment, or perhaps some combination of the three. Whatever it was, Hermione Granger was not happy, and more than that, she was extremely distressed.

"Good evening, Professor Granger," he greeted calmly as he silently thanked the fates that he could mask the feelings her broken expression was stirring within him.

Hermione took a deep breath as her hands clenched against their shaking. Pulling herself together as best she could, she straightened her shoulders and nodded to him. Then in as calm and cordial a voice as possible, she said, "And to you, Professor Snape." Taking a step toward him, her feet faltered as her mind tried to unravel everything. Even the simple task of walking seemed beyond her at the moment.

After standing in silence she suddenly blurted out, "It's you?" The sound of the words seemed to un-stick her mind and horrified understanding began to click into place. This was why he had been so interested in her. This was the reason for his friendship, why he had spent time with her! All for the solving of that stupid bloody puzzle!

"As you see." Severus tilted his head to the side in acknowledgement, motioning to the papers he had strewn before him.

Hurt flooded Hermione as she felt the last of her hope crumble to dust. She couldn't bear to look at him, couldn't bear to see him now that she understood what he was doing. Her eyes fell to the ground in defeat, and she took in a deep breath, grasping for whatever emotional control she could find, some anchor in this swirl of chaos.

"Well," she said, her words coming out in a hurt, quavering whisper, "you've got this far. You might as well finish it. Just... Please, Severus. Don't hate me in the end. I never meant..." Her voice cracked before falling silent; no more words would come.

She looked upon him one last time, her eyes full of unshed tears, the presence of which caused an intense and foreign pain to twinge into life within his heart. Then, before the sob building within her could break, Hermione fled the hall.

~o~o~o~

The deafening quiet of the Great Hall enveloped him as he sat, rigid with shock, his heart beating out of his chest.

That was unexpected.

He couldn't help but wonder what secret could warrant such a reaction, and if knowing her secret and solving her puzzle was worth causing her such pain. Before another second could pass, he was on his feet, gathering his things and stowing them away in the deep recesses of his robes. Then he too fled the Great Hall. As his hurried step echoed through the halls of Hogwarts, Severus knew only one thought: One way or another, he was going to finish the matter tonight. Whether Hermione liked it or not!