Part III

Part III

Next Friday arrived much sooner than Severus would have liked. Standing in front of his mirror, he attached cufflinks to the shirt sleeves of one of his nicer sets of dress robes and sighed. It was only a reception with people who were mostly neutral to his presence, although a very few would actually be glad to see him. Hermione had assured him that they would make the rounds and leave as soon as it was politic to do so. This really was something he'd only consider doing for a good friend ... agreement or not. Casting a quick Tempus, he grabbed his cloak and headed down to the atrium where they had agreed to meet.

Hermione was already there. She wore a sleeveless, form-fitting set of warm, sable-coloured velvet robes that had a sweetheart neckline, an empire waist and a skirt that flared at the knee and fell softly to the floor. The robes were accessorised with matching fingerless opera gloves, along with an antique gold silk wrap around her bare shoulders. Her hair was pulled up in a stylish up-do with a trail of silky curls at the base of her neck. The deep yellow beryl teardrop earrings, necklace and ring set in white gold completed the ensemble.

"Will I do?" she asked with a sultry smile.

"I suppose it won't be a hardship to be seen with you," he replied flatly, his mouth quirking at the corners as he suppressed a smile.

The ravens set up a commotion in response.

"I don't think they like your attitude, Mr Snape."

"That's only because you've shamelessly spoiled them," he said, giving them an evil glare as he took her arm. "Let's leave the critics behind, shall we?"

"By all means, yes!" she said with a laugh as they made their way to the Apparition point just outside the building. Severus Disillusioned them before Apparating them both.

oOO0OOo

When they arrived at the restaurant, they cancelled the spell and followed the sign to the room where the reception was being held. Arthur Weasley met them at the door.

"Hermione, you look lovely tonight. And . . . Severus, so pleased to see you! Come in, come in," he said with a joviality that would normally have made Severus' teeth ache, but Arthur was one of the few people he respected.

"Molly's just over there," Arthur said, waving distractedly as more guests arrived, "and the couple of the hour is at the head table. Go say hello."

Severus reached out and shook his hand, "We will, Arthur. It's good to see you again," he said as he guided Hermione away towards the head table.

"I never knew you were on good terms with Arthur," she remarked.

"He was a reliable informant for us at the Ministry, even when it was no longer safe for him to work there, and he still managed to do a good job of raising that horde. He also never treated me as shoddily as others tended to. He's an easy man to respect," Severus finished as they reached their destination.

Ron pulled Hermione into a warm hug and then passed her off to Marissa before shaking Snape's hand in greeting. "Good to see you, sir."

Severus gestured towards Marissa. "Thank you. If you would be so kind as to introduce the new Mrs Weasley?"

"Oh, sure. Marissa, sweetheart, this is Mr Severus Snape, our former professor. He taught us Potions and Defence at Hogwarts," Ron said by way of introduction.

"A pleasure to meet you finally, Mr Snape," Marissa replied warmly.

"Congratulations to you. Mr Weasley was a slow starter, but he managed to do well in the end."

"Yes, I did," he replied with a lopsided grin as he turned to Hermione. "So, you and Snape?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she said with a happy shrug.

"Wow." Turning to Severus, Ron stated, "We both know that she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself, yes?"

Not knowing where this was going, Severus answered carefully. "Yes...?"

Ron nodded. "Glad to hear that. Now I'm personally letting you know that she's your responsibility," he said firmly.

"Hey!" Hermione said indignantly.

"I'm speaking with Snape. Now hush," he instructed her. "Well, Snape?"

"Understood, Weasley."

"Good to know we're on the same page here." Turning back to Hermione, Ron continued. "You had something to say?"

"Oh, no, I'll just let you men do whatever it is you think you need to do," she replied flippantly.

"And there is the surly witch I know and love. See what you saved me from, Marissa?" he said with a laugh, waggling his eyebrows comically in response.

Hermione turned to Severus and sighed. "I think it's time we made the rounds before I end up punching him."

"I agree. Once again, it was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs Weasley." Turning to Ron, he raised an eyebrow in irony and said, "Take good care of her."

Ron pulled his wife to him and said, "I plan on it. Have a good evening, sir."

Severus pulled Hermione to him and led her about for a half hour, briefly greeting those in attendance whom he knew while allowing her to spend time with her acquaintances. They spent another twenty minutes in conversation with Molly and Minerva before he suggested that they make their way over to the Potters.

"I can go alone if you'd like. I know you and Ginny aren't exactly on speaking terms," Hermione said as they crossed the room.

"I'm fine with Ginevra. I've made my peace with what I had to do as Headmaster to protect them quite some time ago. I refuse to allow the situation to hold power over me any longer," he replied.

"Hermione, you look wonderful," Ginny exclaimed, giving her a hug before looking over at Severus. "Tell me you're not here with Snape," she continued with a slight frown.

"I am, so like it or lump it," Hermione responded coolly, stepping closer to the man in question.

"What's not to like?" Ginny responded with irony as she turned to Severus. "Snape, I'm surprised to see you here," she said with false politeness.

"So am I, Mrs Potter," he responded mildly, with a faint smile on his lips, causing her to blink in consternation.

She gave Severus a hostile glare before turning to Harry. "I think I'll go refresh our punch," she stated, grabbing their cups before quickly heading away from them.

Harry sighed. "It's good to see you, Snape."

"Likewise," he replied softly.

Harry nodded absently as he watched his wife's retreating form, his concern visible in his expression before turning to Hermione. Holding out his arms he said, "Come here and give us a hug ... you never could do things the easy way."

"No, but I have to warn you that you'll be seeing quite a bit more of Severus in the future," she replied, hugging him back.

Looking merrily over Hermione's shoulder at Snape, Harry said, "Thank you!" grinning as he pushed Hermione back to look her in the eye. "George owes me twenty Galleons."

"You were betting on us, Potter?" Severus asked, the warning clear in his voice.

"No ... I was betting on Hermione and I said that if she fell, it would be for someone older."

"I didn't fall ... we have an arrangement," Hermione retorted with a sniff.

"Oh, in that case, he only owes me ten."

"Harry!"

"All right, I'll stop," he replied solemnly.

Turning to Severus, he said, "In all sincerity, I'm pleased for the both of you." Quickly canvassing the room, he sobered. "Look, Ginny is making her way back ..."

Severus looked past Harry and spoke. "Draco and Astoria have just made their fashionably late entrance. I'm going to go have a quiet word with them, if you'll join me when you've finished here, Hermione?" tacitly implying that there was no need for her to rush off.

She took his hand and squeezed it gently in response. "All right, I'll see you in a few moments," she answered as Severus nodded to Harry and excused himself.

oOO0OOo

Severus absent-mindedly listened to Draco as he watched Hermione interact with the Potters. In a way, he was glad that the young man had married Ginevra, regardless of the obvious associative issues. Ginevra was so completely unlike Lily that it had made things easy in the end, and Harry had proved over and over again that he was nothing like his sire. He hadn't lied to Hermione when he'd said that he'd made peace with his actions. But like Ginevra, sometimes moving on was easier said than done.

"Severus, who are you here with? I'd meant to ask," Astoria said curiously as she scanned the room.

He nodded in the direction of the young woman approaching him with a smile. "Hermione Granger asked me to escort her, and I decided that it couldn't hurt to oblige her."

"How very intriguing," she responded, giving him an eager look.

"I know the two of you are currently working together," Draco stated, "but there's more to it than that."

"There always is," Severus replied cryptically as Hermione joined him. "Hermione, you know Draco, of course. Have you had the opportunity to meet his lovely wife, Astoria?"

"No. We don't normally travel in the same circles, although I do support a few of the charities she manages," she said, turning to Astoria with a smile. "It's good to meet you."

"A pleasure," Astoria responded warmly. "Severus was just explaining that he's on escort duty tonight."

"Yes, we're colleagues, and he was kind enough to help me out, as well as to provide me with an excuse to leave the festivities a bit early."

Severus smiled inwardly as he watched Astoria wilt. She still wasn't getting the answers she wanted. "Speaking of leaving ... this would be a good time for us to do so. Everyone will be focused on these two as they well-wish the happy couple."

"I'm ready to go," Hermione stated. "Draco, it was good to see you again, and Astoria, I'll contact you soon. I want to discuss the Hogwarts Scholarship Fund with you. As much as I love Minerva, she's still Headmistress and has her agenda."

"Oh, I'd appreciate that," Astoria replied, her face lighting up with pleasure.

Severus spoke up before Astoria could use the opening. "Draco, I'll contact you later about the contract with Longbottom. For now, I wish you both a good evening."

Draco took the hint and gently steered his wife towards the head table.

"That's that," Hermione said brightly as they made their way towards the restaurant entrance.

"Yes, and I want you to know that I was very pleased with the way you handled Astoria. She's just as nosy as most of her ilk, but she isn't a gossip. She tends to use the information to decide what leverage she can use to interest people in her charities."

"That's good to know," Hermione replied. "You do realise that we've managed to let everyone who matters see us together. Things should be simple from this point forward."

"You mean I don't have to suffer through a meet-the-parents scenario," he said with a chuckle as they stepped into the alcove set aside for Apparating.

"Absolutely not. I don't anticipate them hosting anything that would require me to bring an escort, and the less they know about my activities the better. Mum sees me with a man and starts hinting about marriage and grandchildren," she said with a shudder. Reaching into the sleeve of her glove, she pulled out her Portkey and dangled it in front of Severus' nose. "I think we deserve a reward for good behaviour."

Severus could only agree as he reached out and grasped the pendant with a smile.

oOO0OOo

Things settled down after that evening. They were moving firmly into the Christmas holidays, and Severus still worked with Hermione at least once a week. She informed him that Coulson needed her talents more often than not due to the new focus of the project, and her intermittent absence gave him time to craft the actual potion for the upcoming trials without distraction.

It was novel to have a breakfast partner during the work week, but he found that he still liked his solitude, so the infrequent meetings suited him better. It was also novel having a steady lover although they'd finally managed to slow down in that area as well. As much enjoyment as the activity provided, they weren't getting enough rest.

That was the state of things when Hermione breezed into his office unannounced one afternoon.

"Blenkinship is an idiot," she proclaimed angrily as she opened a bag and pulled out containers of takeaway. "I got you the lamb Tikka Shashlik Massalla and the Vegetable Dansak with pilau rice ... I remember you eyeballing those the last time we ordered."

Severus quietly put away his work along with the bacon butty he'd fixed earlier. "And just why is he an idiot?"

"He had the nerve to slip a potion into my cider when we went out for drinks last night. Like I don't wandlessly check everything I ingest out of habit," she said disgustedly as she put her own order of Tandoori Mixed Grill in front of her. "I got extra naan this time."

"Thank you. I agree with you that Blenkinship is an idiot. Is he still alive? Or do you need my help with hiding the body?" he asked calmly as he took his share of the bread to go with his meal.

"He's still alive, unfortunately, but I hexed him with haemorrhoids ... my own variation ... so he won't be comfortable for a while yet," she said with a look of satisfaction on her face.

Severus snorted and turned to enjoy his meal. He now understood exactly what Weasley had tasked him with. Blenkinship thought it was proper to slip unsuspecting women potions to get what he wanted. Severus disagreed. He would take care of it. He had the perfect potion in mind, and it would take another Master to even attempt to counter it. Otherwise it would wear off in a month.

"Oh, I brought this treatise by Kaftlan for you to look over. I noticed you didn't have it, and I was certain you'd find it amusing."

"I'll look it over next week. I'll be at a point in brewing where quite a bit of hurry up and wait is involved," he replied. He actually had time now, but the rest of this week would be spent doing reconnaissance for a special delivery.

Severus was pleased to see Hermione less angry as she packed up and headed back to her own office after lunch. It had been odd to have her come to him just to blow off a bit of steam and not request anything of him other than a friendly ear. And she'd brought him lunch and a bit of light theory to shred to bits in his spare time. Minerva was a friend, but she never just wanted to bend his ear. She usually wanted advice, which he didn't mind giving, but it wasn't the same.

He finished clearing up and put away his notes. He had one of the Half-Blood Prince's specialties to brew.

Hermione came to him a few more times over the next few months to complain about the idiots she attempted to date, but she gave fewer and fewer details as time went on. Severus took this to mean that the word had got out that she was being looked after and was quietly pleased. What he hadn't noticed was the fact that she really wasn't informing him about any of her outings after a while. He was so caught up in his work that he hadn't honestly noted the difference. He did notice that she hadn't come to him at all for work or pleasure during the past week, so he was making an effort to finish up early to make certain that she wasn't ill.

"Mr Snape?" his receptionist called out from his office.

"What can I do for you, Robert?" he responded, as he made his way from the lab.

"There's a Mr Ronald Weasley here to see you if you have a moment."

Severus froze in the doorway. "Send him in immediately."

Severus quickly made his way across the room to stand in front of his desk as Ron entered the office. He didn't waste any time in greeting him.

"Weasley, is something wrong with Hermione?" he asked, hating the tightness in his voice. He really should have checked up on her, if only to say hello.

Ron casually crossed his arms and stared. "Why, hello to you too, Snape. I'm doing just fine, thanks."

"Weasley!"

"I'm not one of your scared little Firsties, and I can't be baited," Ron stated calmly. "So offer me a chair, and I'll tell you why it's not a good thing to upset Hermione."

Severus waved Ron to a seat and rounded his desk to take his own chair. Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he closed his eyes and took a calming breath. This was why he'd refrained from close friendships and relationships in general; he didn't know how to deal with situations like this. Leaning forward, he looked at Ron and sighed.

"What have I done to upset Hermione to the point that she's avoiding me? She is avoiding me and not incapacitated, correct?"

"She's avoiding you," Ron confirmed. "What surprises me is the fact that she hasn't already made your ears bleed. If I'd managed to bollocks-up the situation ... oh, I know why she hasn't! She can't prove it," he said with a satisfied grin.

"Weasley, get to the point," Severus snapped, unable to take any more.

"Fine. You remember what I said at the party?"

"You told me she was my responsibility," he replied.

"No, before that. I told you that Hermione was capable of taking care of herself, and you agreed," Ron stated grimly. "It wasn't code for "Let her think she's handling things and then go behind her back", it was my way of saying, "She can take care of herself, so let her, or you'll piss her off.'"

"How was I supposed to get all of that from those two statements!" he bellowed, slamming his hands down on the desk in frustration.

Ron sat back and shrugged. "I had no idea that you would read into it, although I should have, considering you were Head of Slytherin and all. I only meant that you needed to be there for her when the tossers got on her last nerve or made her cry and think she wasn't good enough."

"And she trusts you with tactics." Severus snorted as he came to grips with the fact that Hermione didn't want the kind of help he'd been providing.

"The others you went after wouldn't have even rated a raised eyebrow, let alone a personal response, but if it's any consolation, we don't blame you for whatever you did to Blenkinship. He's a nasty piece of work, and we don't know what Hermione was thinking to even agree to go with him for a pint."

"We?" Severus asked.

"Oh, Marissa, Harry and me. We may not always agree with how Hermione deals with the little bottom feeders, but she's wickedly inventive, so we leave her to her own devices. She needs to gain that confidence back," Ron said with a sad, faraway look in his eyes.

They sat in silence for a bit and Severus hated the fact that someone like Hermione actually needed to regain her confidence, especially because he knew that both he and Weasley had had a history of having chipped away at it from the very beginning of their association with her. They weren't the only ones ... the wizarding world in general had been unkind, but it still rankled.

"I was planning on seeing her this evening, just to check up on her," Severus said softly. "How would you suggest I handle things?"

"If it were me, I'd come clean and tell her everything. Let her know why you did it, and that it wasn't because you didn't think she could take care of herself. She'd appreciate that."

"Isn't that a bit simple?"

"Hermione's like that ... she actually has an appreciation for simple under the right circumstances. Besides, you can always make it up to her," Ron said with a salacious grin.

"Get out of my office. Now," Severus ordered, standing and pointing to emphasise the directive.

Ron stood as well and gave him a genuine smile as he headed to the door. "You're welcome, Snape. Glad to be of help." With a cocky wave, he sauntered out.

Falling back into his chair, Severus contemplated on how to approach the situation he'd unknowingly created with Hermione. He refused to go begging again as he had done with Lily, but he did want to make things right. He was also a bit hacked off that she hadn't trusted their friendship enough to say something to him. But then, their friendship was still rather new and somewhat unequal. He'd yet to invite her into his home, amongst other things. However, he had shared his atrium with her, and that was something he hadn't done with anyone else ... not even Draco. This was complicated. He wasn't sorry in the least for sticking up for her ... especially when it came to people like Blenkinship ... because he cared about her, and a friend deserved better than what that worm had tried to do to her. Nonetheless, his own actions had inadvertently hurt her as well. He was tying himself into knots. If he kept on, he'd never leave.

Sitting forward, he impatiently scrubbed at his face, then ran his fingers through his hair before finally deciding that Weasley was right. "Simple" was the best way to deal with this. Flicking his wand, he sent his Patronus to the young man and asked him for her whereabouts.

A feisty Jack Russell Terrier returned a moment later. "She's at home, you git, now get moving!"

oOO0OOo

Severus was full of apprehension as he stepped from the Apparation point and walked up the private drive of the house in Warlingham that Hermione had mentioned she'd purchased with part of her own war stipend when he'd asked. It was a large single detached house made of Cotswold stone, with an inordinate amount of windows to the rear, surrounded by a small stand of beech trees that grew near a stream. He concentrated on those details in an attempt to drown out the flashbacks of making his way up to the seventh floor and waiting outside the portrait that guarded Gryffindor. If Hermione didn't let him in, he would leave.

He slowly climbed the doorsteps and tapped his wand to the door knocker, which depicted playful otters in a stream, and waited. A few moments later, a flustered Hermione opened the door.

"Severus! I was just in the middle of fixing something to eat. Do you want to join me? I have enough for two," she babbled nervously as she stepped back to allow him in.

Following her inside and through the tan and cream coloured entryway, he removed his cloak and hung it on one of the hooks there before following her back to the kitchen and lounge area that took up a good portion of the ground floor. Most of the house was done up in pale creams, tans and gold with polished beech wood flooring, lots of greenery and windows that lent an open, airy feel to it. The kitchen and lounge were the exception.

The flooring was black oak, and the walls were alternating shades of Moroccan red, terracotta, dark brown and cream. The kitchen proper had black granite worktops with equally black cabinetry that housed stainless steel appliances. The lounge boasted two abstract tapestries displayed upon its walls, along with myriad photos, both magical and Muggle. There were various books piled on two low tables, and comfortable seating that appeared to be randomly situated. The entire length of the room comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, which gave it the feel of a solarium.

Severus made his way to his favourite chair that faced the terraced gardens to the rear of the property and sat before responding. "No, I'm not hungry, thank you. I just came to see how you were and to make an apology," he stated diffidently.

"And just what do you think you need to apologise for?" she said as she stopped in front of him and placed a hand on her hip.

"I seem to have overstepped myself, but I didn't know that I had until a certain friend of yours pointed the fact out to me. Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked, the weariness evident in his voice.

Hermione wrapped her arms about herself and turned away. "I didn't want to overreact."

He steepled his fingers, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees, silently cursing the fact that he'd cut his hair so short. "I thought we were friends."

She whipped around suddenly and kneeled in front of him. "We are. I just didn't want to fight about something that I might be wrong about. You don't deserve that."

"So you avoid me completely instead, hoping I wouldn't notice? As single-minded as I've been as of late, even I noticed that I hadn't seen nor heard from you for a week. I was already planning on checking on you today before your redheaded friend dropped by to let me know I'd cocked up," he snapped as he reached out and shot up, pulling her to her feet with him.

"It's just that you've spent most of your life being unjustly accused, or having people overreact, so excuse me if I wasn't in a hurry to join the queue!" she shouted, standing toe to toe with him, her head tilted back in defiance.

Severus' eyes narrowed, and he growled as he turned sharply and started to pace. "You can't spend all of our association tiptoeing around the landmines in my history," he hissed. "I have spent a good portion of the years since the war forcibly putting Lily, the Marauders, Dumbledore, and anyone else that took up too much of my psyche behind me in an almost futile attempt to. Learn. How. To. Live," he bit out angrily. "If you're going to wrap me in cotton wool and make yourself miserable in the process, I ..."

"Don't you even go there, Severus Snape! I am your friend!" she cut in angrily as she stormed up to him.

"If you are truly a friend, why don't you just go ahead and ask," he responded heatedly. "You would have already done so if I were one of those two other dunderheads you so love, but you don't trust me enough."

"Oh, I think I do," she said furiously as her chin jutted out and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Tell me ... just what was your purpose in going after those men I told you about in confidence? I had already dealt out my own brand of justice when needed ... I'm not a helpless, broken damsel in distress. I came to you as a friend, just needing to vent a bit, and you took things too far."

"So Weasley informed me," he spat. "What was I thinking? I was thinking that you were my friend and that you didn't deserve the crap they were exposing you to. I know that you are capable, clever and fiendishly inventive when crossed. I wasn't trying to imply that you couldn't handle the situations on your own."

Severus turned away and looked out the window again. "I was just doing the one thing that had never been done for me: no one ever truly defended me from the bullies," he said softly. "Oh, they mouthed their platitudes and tsked appropriately, but they stood by and let me defend myself over and over again. They never did what was in their power to make the bullies stop, or at least think several times over before they sought me out again."

His shoulders slumped and he hung his head in defeat. "I just wanted to do that for you."

He felt arms come up around him and her head rest against his back. "We're both idiots," she stated tiredly.

"I can't argue with that," he murmured as he turned in her embrace and pulled her closer. "You have to admit that it was funny hearing Macmillan announce, 'I'm a blithering idiot', every time someone said his name within hearing distance for an entire hour. I think half the Ministry workers in the vicinity took advantage of it."

Hermione snickered. "That was one of your better pranks. Thank you for making certain I was nowhere near when he was originally hexed. I only knew to go see because Harry sent for me."

"It's all about plausible deniability. Neither of us was present when the hex deployed. I used the delay sequence we worked out," he replied smugly as he watched her eyes light up.

"Did you really have to make all of Theo's hair fall out? I know I thought he was a bit of an arse with his intimation that I should switch over to the hair-care line that he promoted if I wanted people to take me seriously as a real witch, but it was only a minor offence."

"It didn't just fall out ... it grew back in every morning in a different colour combination for a week. I thought the Weasley red with the purple checks was rather fetching," he stated casually with a smirk, smiling when she actually gave in and laughed.

Hermione tugged on his arm and turned them towards the sofa. "I need to sit," she gasped.

"Yes, you do," he said as he guided her down and sat afterwards.

When she regained her composure, she sighed. "I have to ask. Tell me exactly what you did to Blenkinship. He's been a total wreck as of late."

Severus closed his eyes briefly and hoped that this anecdote wouldn't ruin things. "I slipped him a behavioural modification potion of my own devising," he murmured. "It was designed to link with his derogatory sexual thought patterns. Every time he considered date-rape, he broke out in hives. The directive only lasted for thirty days, but he is a serious case. Because he continued with the undesirable behaviour, he's developed self-induced panic attacks. I suspect that he finally figured out that his thoughts were linked to the rather painful and embarrassing hives, and he can't tell the Healers his conclusion. I studied him before I decided to slip him the potion, and witnessed him drug three witches and five Muggles in one week's time. I even took a risk and gave the information to the MLE, but he has too many friends there."

"I know," she said softly. "I used myself as bait to attempt to build a case and it was buried within hours. I wish Kingsley were still Minister, but if wishes were horses, yeah? So I spoke with all of the women at the research lab at Uni and told Erik, as well. He managed to get Blenkinship assigned to a different project in an isolated location that has few women about. That was the best he could do on short notice."

He nodded and pulled her closer. "The only reason I didn't kill him was the fact that I knew it would be a deal-breaker for you. I wanted him dead, especially after what I witnessed."

"I wanted him dead, too, but we can't have it all," she replied, smirking. "Speaking of which, as humorous as the pranks have been, please ask me first, next time, or I'll just refrain from telling you about my adventures in dating."

"I believe I can agree to that, even if it does spoil my fun."

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Severus."

They sat tucked together in silence until something she had said earlier struck him.

"Did you just call our project leader by his given name?"

She blushed. "Oh, Erik ... yes, I did. We've been working together so much over the past couple of months, and he's not a bad sort," she said with a shrug. "I'd better warn you though, he's taking me to lunch soon ... it's not a date. It's just that he noticed my tendency to work until I drop and has threatened to drag me to lunch the next time we're working. He also noticed that you consistently called for a break and fed me when he spent those three days briefing us on the samples, so he says that if you aren't there to make me see reason, he would."

"And you're going to put up with that?" he asked carefully.

"Like I said, he's a good one. I'll let him get away with the mother hen act. Now, I do need food, even if you don't. Could I get you a drink?"

Severus considered for a moment ... he was emotionally exhausted. The outcome of this misunderstanding completely trumped the one in his past, but he was still gutted. "Truthfully, I'm more than a bit knackered. I think I better head home. I'm just happy to have resolved things between us."

Hermione looked at him carefully before shaking her head. "No, you don't get off that easily. You know where the bed is. Take a nap. You owe me make-up sex. This was our first real argument. Kissing and making up is a requirement, so go grab a kip and I'll give you a proper waking in a bit."

He was in no shape to try and dissuade her. He slowly stood and made his way down the hall to her room. He'd never managed a friendship that didn't implode at some point, so tonight was a true accomplishment. He'd never had make-up sex before either, he thought as he stripped off and made himself comfortable. He fell asleep, peacefully anticipating his wake-up call.

oOO0OOo

Oddly enough, the upshot of the whole argument was the fact that they became even better friends. He found himself seeking Hermione out to share a thought or indulge in a bout of sex just as freely as she had always done. He stoically put up with being attacked by the kitten she'd recently acquired and hadn't once suggested using it for potions ingredients. He even dragged her out to a Muggle theatre to hear Tchaikovsky so he didn't have to go alone. While make-up sex had been a revelation in itself, the openness (to an extent) that now existed was almost more than Severus could handle emotionally at times. The current discussion in progress was a case in point.

"Of course I can attend the testing and take notes and observations for you. I'll even provide you with a Pensieve record, but it won't be as effective as your own observations. This is your work, Severus. You need to be there to see it implemented; only you can tell if it's progressing the way you designed it to," Hermione vehemently stated.

"No, I don't need to be there. You know what to look for, and that is more than enough for me," he replied stubbornly, swivelling his chair about to face the bay window behind him.

"This is the threshold testing. Even with both of us observing, we might not get everything you want. There are six subjects involved, and unlike you, I've never studied or mastered mind magic, so I don't have the ability to observe and mentally record things as finely as you can," she argued, her frustration finally winning out. "Obviously, there is something that I'm missing in all of this, so if you'd just explain," she implored with a sigh.

"No."

"Right then, I'm taking a walk." Throwing up her hands, she stormed out the doorway that led to the atrium.

He continued to stare out the window in silence. Six subjects was six too many when the possibility that all of them could transform still existed. Yes, they would all have ingested the modified Wolfsbane, so they wouldn't harm themselves or others, but he couldn't force himself to be present to observe. Most likely, his observations wouldn't be of use. He still had waking flashbacks of Lupin, Greyback and the other werewolves he'd witnessed change, and several of those incidents had placed him in life-threatening situations. Lupin's were the worst, because they were inextricably linked to the Shrieking Shack and always cascaded to flashbacks of Nagini's attack. His response to those flashbacks was humiliating and debilitating ... he'd worked too hard to find balance to risk succumbing to them again.

Hermione thought she was handicapped for not having studied mind magic, she didn't understand how fortunate she was to be capable of allowing time to blur the edges on her more traumatic experiences. He could compartmentalise and Occlude when necessary, but every fine detail and emotion was there for the asking, whether he wanted them or no. He re-lived memories as if they were occurring in the now ... particularly the bad ones.

He should have probably had more faith in his art and allowed himself to believe that only the two control subjects would actually transform, but he wasn't ready ... he'd never be ready. The Mind Healers he'd worked with had done what they could to help him control the more sensitive triggers, having never dealt with a case where a subject had Occluded for the better part of seven years, and for most of his experiences it was enough. However, there was only so much peace that could be made on this particular subject.

Pushing up from his chair, he slowly made his way to the atrium. She was sitting on the low wall beneath the stand with one bird on her shoulder and the other on her knee. The one on her shoulder attempted to preen her hair while the other butted her gently on the chest, trying to soothe her as she scratched his head. Both turned to glare at him as he crossed the space and sat down beside her.

"You've corrupted my birds," he grumbled.

"I can't help it if they like me better," she muttered petulantly, refusing to look at him.

They both continued to sit in silence and look at nothing.

"I can't go," he finally said, hoping that he wouldn't have to explain.

"You've already told me you won't go, so you didn't need to come ..."

"No," he snapped, cutting her off. "I can't go." He held himself stiffly and looked away to hide his own frustration.

Hermione studied him, "Oh. I see." She continued to look at him thoughtfully before replying. "You should have said that in the first place." After gently shooing the birds away, she turned and took one of his hands and tugged softly until he looked her way. "I'll find a way to get what you need."

Severus looked at her and was amazed to find no sign of pity, just the firm determination he was used to seeing when she had a particularly fiddly problem to deal with. Reaching out with his free hand, he softly pulled her face closer and kissed her on the tip of her nose, causing her to startle. "Thank you for understanding," he murmured as he pulled away and stood.

Looking up, Hermione scrunched her nose at him in consternation. "I think it's got to the point where I know you rather well."

"And you haven't run off screaming," he quipped, offering a hand up, which she readily took.

"No," she replied, as he helped her to her feet. "But I am going to run off for the moment. I've got to check on my cat and stop by Harry's."

"And just how goes it with Ariadne?"

"I keep telling you its Antigone, and it's still not exactly Pax Terra Marique, but we're getting along now. It would have been more helpful if my parents had let me choose my own Kneazle instead of giving me one as a gift, but I suppose they're trying, so I shouldn't complain."

"It would probably be helpful if you actually spent more time with her. Kneazles may be independent by nature, but they don't like to be ignored," Severus countered.

"Well, I don't enjoy being ignored either," she admitted sadly, "but every time I look for her, she takes off and hides."

"Antigone hides because her name should be Ariadne, but you never listen to me," he said with mocking humour. "Now in all of this running about, I haven't heard mention of you actually stopping to eat. Do I need to feed you before I let you out of my sight?"

"No, I've got dinner with Erik later, so I'll be fine."

He looked at her sardonically and snorted. "I thought you said you two weren't dating."

"We aren't, more's the pity. Strictly a working dinner to deal with the logistics of the testing," she stated flatly. "Actually, you could come with ... I could still use your input."

"I have no desire to be a third wheel," he sneered as he walked past her towards his office.

"Of all the bloody . . . Severus Snape, this is not a date!" she wailed, stomping her foot for emphasis.

"You just keep telling yourself that," he called over his shoulder as he made his way into the connecting hallway and smirked when he heard her faint huff of, "Men!"

Yes, men. She was obviously deluding herself if she thought that Coulson was all business. With a sigh, he sat behind his desk. Now he'd have to keep an eye on him. He did have to give the other man credit. He was obviously observant enough to realise that someone looked out for her, and that unpleasant things happened to those who dated and abused her in some fashion. Of course Coulson wasn't calling these little tête-à-tête's dates; he was smarter than that. Pulling out his Dicto-Quill and activating it, he pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on creating the outlines she would need for the testing observations.

oOO0OOo

The next morning, he received an invitation to deliver a keynote address three weeks hence on Defence at a symposium in Switzerland. It conveniently took place on the night of the testing. They also wanted him to deliver a lecture later that week for the attendees that focused on teaching Defence as a multi-disciplinary unit in conjunction with Transfiguration, Charms and Potions during NEWT years, as well as in other places of higher learning. Hermione and Minerva were the only ones privy to the fact that that was a pet project of his, so he was certain that one of them was responsible for providing him with the opportunity for a plausible out for the test date. He knew that none of the team would begrudge it to him ... the symposium was highly prestigious, and his participation would only serve to boost the already stellar profile of their research group. While penning his acceptance he noticed that there was a dinner on the last night and smiled inwardly as he wrote down the number two for the attendance headcount. Sliding a clean sheet of stationery in front of him, he wrote a note to Hermione, telling her to clear her calendar for that evening ... she was officially on escort duty.

He spent the rest of the morning taking care of the details: having Robert make travel and hotel arrangements, sorting his wardrobe for the event and sending off the acceptance along with his other correspondence before pulling out the Defence manuscript that he'd worked on for several years. The rest of the day would be spent in putting together the bones of his speech and lecture; the next day would be spent finishing up the observation outline for Hermione, leaving the rest of the time for him to focus on creating a memorable presentation.

oOO0OOo

Three weeks later, Severus sat in his hotel suite nursing a slight headache several hours after sunrise. His speech had been exceptionally well-received, and the presenters of the symposium were gratifyingly attentive throughout the evening. He really should have been asleep, but his mind was busily tormenting him with scenarios of the testing that he'd avoided. At least no one expected to see him about until early evening. It was too soon to check with Hermione to see how things had actually gone, but he was certain that nothing disastrous had occurred ... she would have contacted him.

Making a decision, he pulled out the room service menu and placed an order for porridge, eggs, tea and toast before searching out a mild Headache Relief potion from his travel bag. When that was taken care of, he made his way to the shower. About halfway through his meal, an otter Patronus sailed through the wall and playfully circled his head before delivering its message:

"I've got Harry's Cloak, so if you'll give me your room number, I can be there in a trice without all of the speculation that my going to the front counter for the same information will stir up. It's your call."

Even half asleep, he didn't even need to think twice before he sent his own Patronus on its way, and five minutes later an equally tired-looking, but elated Hermione was sitting at his table nursing a mug of tea.

"So, how did it go?" he asked calmly.

"We found the threshold ... subjects Four, Five and Six didn't transform," she responded wearily.

"But?"

"We had to administer the antidote in full to subject Three, and partial doses to Five and Six. Subject Six will be under observation for a few days. He had a strong reaction to the treatment ... his liver started to bleed." Reaching into her messenger bag, she pulled out a copy of the trial notes along with three phials.

"You can't possibly have removed that many memories ... you'd be comatose," he stated as he picked up each phial and scrutinised it.

"I didn't. One contains my memories, the others are Harry and Draco's."

His eyes snapped up to her face and he groaned. "You didn't actually tell them ..."

"No ... I didn't have to. I only asked Harry if he could come in his official capacity as one of the partners of the Trust and be a second set of eyes for my Pensieve records, and he said that it would look odd if Draco didn't come, as well."

"I'm surprised that Draco agreed ... his history with Greyback was not pleasant."

"He told me he was doing it for himself," she answered with a neutral smile.

"I hope you sent a therapy-grade dose of Dreamless Sleep home with him," Severus responded as he gently placed the phials in the pocket of his robes that had been designed to carry them.

"I insisted." Reaching into her bag, she removed an additional phial. "This one is from Erik. He doesn't know about the other two."

He took the last phial from her with mixed feelings. "And his reason for providing it?"

She picked up her mug and took another sip before answering. "His memories are almost solely concentrated on subjects Four, Five and Six. He's the one who took my preliminary calculations and devised an algorithm for administering partial dosages of the antidote."

"He administered the dosages himself," he stated.

"Yes. So he had the best viewing of what went on with them," she said with a faint shudder.

"So your memories are of?"

"Subjects Three, Four and Five with Harry's covering the complete trial overall, since he has the training from work. Draco focused on subjects One and Two ... they were the ones who received the version modified to mitigate pain and ease transformation."

He nodded to himself, grateful that Draco had only had to concentrate on the least emotionally charged subjects. Those two should have experienced a change that was as fluid and painless as the Animagus transformation and spent most of the time asleep. Adding the last phial to the collection, he pushed further thoughts aside. "Since there isn't anything pressing that I need to see, I'll deal with this when I get home." Looking casually at Hermione, he continued. "I have no obligations until this evening's meeting for presenters. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I need to check on subject Six, but not until tonight, and then I need to finish packing. I'm supposed to arrive here officially tomorrow afternoon. I plan on attending your lecture the following day, and then we have the dinner that evening. Why do you ask?"

He stood and gently removed the mug she'd been holding, setting it on the table. Leaning down, he reached out, tipped her head just so and kissed her. It was long and slow, communicating everything that ultimately didn't need explanation. Eventually, he pulled back, holding out his hand. "Yes?" he enquired.

"Oh, definitely," she responded as she stood and allowed him to guide her towards the bedroom.

oOO0OOo

The aftermath of the symposium was an exercise in controlled chaos. Severus was inundated with requests for consultations, workshops and practical demonstrations. He even received two enquiries from prominent publishing houses wanting to know if he was interested in marketing his manuscript as a series. It was the type of acclaim he'd sought by joining Riddle all those years ago, and the irony was sobering. With a bit of work and resourcefulness, he might even be able to leave a more positive legacy to Hogwarts than his infamy as Headmaster. But first, he needed to complete his portion of work on the project.

The last week had been trying as well as tiring. He'd viewed one set of memories a day, starting with Draco's, and the process had taken its toll. He'd been short with Robert, who was only trying to impose a bit of sanity on Severus' availability. He'd snapped at Hermione, warned her not to return until he'd finished the process and finally resorted to cutting off all outside contact. It was a good thing that he'd done so ... her memory of the trial was the most painful to deal with.

Subject Three was the one who both he and Hermione had worried about and the only one who had been given the standard Wolfsbane potion along with the lowest dose of the suppression formula. The calculations had shown that the chance of failure ranged in the eighty-ninth percentile and that actual transformation would be extremely painful upon failure. He'd provided a full dose of the antidote for the suppression formula, along with a Sleeping Draught for the female subject who had volunteered. What actually occurred was not predicted. The female werewolf had been stuck in flux ... it was horrifying to watch as an assistant Stunned the convulsing subject so that Hermione could administer the antidote. It had taken another five minutes for the woman to actually complete transformation and drink the Sleeping Draught.

Ironically, both Potter and Coulson's memories were the easiest to deal with. Potter, because he had learned to make detailed observations that were almost completely free of emotional involvement, provided a decent overview. Coulson's observations were all of subjects who did not transform, and even though he'd been forced to administer partial doses of the antidote to two of the subjects to bring their chemistries within threshold parameters, he'd been concise and extremely clearheaded. The only time that Coulson's memory had been imbued with an overt emotion had been at the very end as he looked over at Hermione as she finished dealing with subject Three. Severus could discern the other man's admiration as a palpable force.

It took him two days to shut down the flashbacks and mentally file away the emotional debris. The memory of viewing Hermione's memory he removed completely in order to lessen the guilt he felt for not having been there to support her. He had spoiled her after the fact when she'd shown up at the hotel by being exceedingly attentive to her physical and emotional needs. Nevertheless, she was mostly involved in the trial itself because he hadn't been able to face it. Mentally pushing away his regret, he sent a message to her, asking her to arrange a team meeting. It was time for him to leave his personal insanity behind and join the living.

oOO0OOo

Severus was in the process of taking care of the aquatic ingredients housed in the atrium when Hermione arrived the next afternoon. He looked up, took off his work gloves and sat them on the ledge of the pond before speaking.

"Thank you for agreeing to come," he stated formally. "It appears that I owe you another apology."

She shook her head and laughed bitterly in response. "Oh, no ... I've been reliably informed that I'm the one who overstepped this time."

Taking in her dejected appearance, he motioned for her to follow him onto the enclosed balcony at the far end of the atrium to the table where he'd laid out things for coffee and motioned for her to take a seat. She took her time, carefully preparing the hot beverage to her liking, while not looking at him.

"Hermione ..."

"It really was my fault," she cut in, glancing up at him before returning her attention to her mug. "I went to Harry, carping about how you shut me out, that you wouldn't even consider allowing me to support you, and do you know what he told me?"

Severus raised an enquiring eyebrow as he rotated his mug back and forth between his dextrous fingers.

"He said that sometimes the best support a friend can give is to know when to gracefully give the other person the space they've asked for. And then he proceeded to lecture me on the "obscure but highly useful branch of magic, known as Occlumency". He told me about how certain thoughts and memories are linked to emotions and experiences ... that a Legilimens could drag those memories up and cause a person to relive them. He told me that a few of his memories are so volatile that he keeps them Occluded so as not to experience waking flashbacks because it's like reliving them all over again. The memory of his mother being killed can be triggered just by him seeing a Dementor in the distance," she said sadly, putting her mug down and twisting her fingers together painfully.

Severus reached out his own hands and grasped hers to stop her. "It isn't your fault that my method of dealing with my flashbacks is to shut everyone out."

"I understand that, but it is my fault when I refuse to leave well enough alone," she said with a weak smile. "I once accused Harry of having a "saving people thing", and truthfully, I'm just as guilty at times."

"Well, in my book, not too many others have ever even bothered to try to save me, so you are forgiven."

"Thanks for that," she said with a sigh.

She still wouldn't look at him, so he tried another tack. "Tell me, if it's really, truly sorted, why are you behaving as if it isn't?"

She looked at him guiltily. "Just because I know you're not angry with me doesn't mean that I wasn't upset by being shut out. It's not your problem. I just need some more time to get over myself. And because you're a decent friend, you'll give it to me," she added cautiously.

"Granted," he replied solemnly.

"Marvellous! So shall we move on to setting up that meeting?" she asked with a false brightness that he pretended to accept because she'd requested it of him.

Sometimes, friendship was a bitch.

A/N: First off: Thank you, once again, for the additional SPaG beta work, Karelia.

On Occlumency and Pensieves - this is my extrapolation of what might occur from the overuse of both. I fully realise that canon says there is no emotional transfer when memories are viewed via a Pensieve, but I think there is evidence to support the possibility - "The Prince's Tale" and Harry's reaction to Snape's raw memories.

I also feel that Severus' overuse of both Occlumency and Pensieves would have caused an unusual type of sensitivity for him when viewing other's memories. Just my own pet theory.