Severus had gotten used to waking up next to Hermione over the Christmas holiday, and her not being there upon awakening confused him. Still half asleep, he felt around his bed, but she was gone. Then it dawned on him. It was the start of a new term, Hermione had retreated to her dorm earlier in the night, probably just after the moon had dipped below the horizon, rendering him untouchable. He glanced at the window to the side of his bed. She had closed it, drawn the curtains. A sliver between the fabric flooded his sight with a newly risen sun, and he groaned slightly, wishing the arm he threw over his eyes would block it out, but just as his arm was see-through, the light filtered through it. He rose up, feeling groggy and left his rooms, preparing for a new day.

Breakfast was like the others, students still waking up and grumpy, it was possibly the quietest gathering of the day. He had no problem with it, finding it welcomed as he stared into a pearly cup of coffee that transformed from thin air in front of him. He already missed the taste of real coffee; the ghostly crap he and his fellow spirits were served left a lot to be admired. Though the liquid was warm, it lacked flavor. What he wouldn't have given for the moon to rise just then and allow him just one cup of coffee before the start of classes.

"Morning, Severus." Trelawney sat next to him, her magnified eyes smiled at him as she reached for her food. He tried his best to not look offended at her table manners. It was a surprise he wasn't used to them, having served next to her for over a decade. He managed a smirk.

"Good morning, Sybil. Have a good holiday?" He asked.

"It was enjoyable, yes." She tore a part of a biscuit apart, and dunked it in some grey colored gravy, and Severus' mouth began to water. It had been possible for him to eat while solid, and taste the food while under the moon. It passed right through him when he changed, however, leaving quite a mess when he'd no longer have a stomach to contain it. The food he ingested had not been broken down either, lacking the proper functions to do so, but for the most part was worth it even though the few piles he left had been nothin more but masticated bits and pieces. He had to look away from Trelawney as she finished up her biscuit.

The morning owl delivery started, owls of all sizes and shapes dove through the windows, swooping low. The light caught between their wings, causing Severus' vision to blur with the rapid change and flickering light. He looked away, down to the Slytherin table where a package had dropped into the lap of a third year girl. She opened it, squealing with joy as she pulled a new package of quills out from the wrapping. Another package was dropped off at the Hufflepuff table, but Severus was uninterested in the delivery. Instead, he had seen Hermione sitting in the next table over, surrounded by her usual friends, grasping a roll of parchment in her hand that had dropped in front of her. She was staring at it, almost turning pale, then excused herself promptly.

"Could you pass me the salt, Severus?" Trelawney asked, pulling Severus away from watching Hermione leave. He obliged.

His entrance into the potions class later that afternoon didn't carry the effect he wanted, the students were calm and collected, but having been used to him, and knowing very well he was harmless in his ghostly state, they made no actions of fear. He was tiring of seeing their faces as well, counting down the days until the end of the term would be upon them and he'd be done with this group forever. He glanced over each student as he reached the front of the classroom, sucked in a breath and ordered them to brew the potion on page forty-two. There was no pompous introduction, he didn't have anything exciting planned. It was to be another long and dreary day of potions, and knowing the students were dreading that made it that much better.

It wasn't until he glanced to the table Seamus was sitting at and saw the next chair empty, did he move. Floating toward Seamus, his eyes remaining on the empty seat, he whispered.

"Where is Granger?"

Seamus shrugged, marking his place in the book.

"I think she's transferred to Adner's potions class, sir." He answered.

Severus narrowed his eyes. Hermione had forgotten to tell him she switched classes? He jumped slightly, Seamus igniting the fire under his cauldron had caught him off guard, and he resumed his position in the front of the classroom.

...

Hermione had indeed left Severus sleeping just after the moon had disappeared. No one knew of the success of her potion, besides Draco Malfoy and she didn't want to answer to Lavender or Parvati why she didn't sleep in the Gryffindor tower. It would have been easy to explain that she passed out in Severus' room, seeing as Lavender was already privy on her fondness of him, but the relationship was still too new, still too forbidden to speak of freely. Somehow, Hermione managed to sneak her way into her own bed without being noticed. It felt cold compared to what she had grown used to, though Severus didn't put out any body heat, and being in the dungeon made the air chilly, there was a certain warmth that came from knowing he wanted her there next to him.

The first few nights had been awkward in the sense of getting herself to believe it was actually happening; what started out as blind appreciation of the man turned into an insatiable need for him without much warning. The feeling came on fast, making her head swirl whenever she thought about him. The feeling was nauseating, but enjoyable. Understanding how this time last year, thinking Severus a traitor and wanting nothing to do with him, to suddenly being lost every time his eyes connected with hers, or her stomach flopping every time he touched her was confusing, which is why she forced herself not to think too much about it.

She woke up hungry, starving really, and dressed quickly. The smells of the breakfast spread had quickly filled the corridors the closer she got to the Great Hall and found herself eagerly awaiting the flapjacks and sausage links that was to appear before her. With her friends by her side, it was hard not to steal looks at the teacher's table, not wanting to give herself away, and feared that the rosy tint and sheepish grin she couldn't help every time she passed her eyes over Severus would do just that. Just when she thought she had been caught, an owl dropped a roll of parchment in front of her. She had been expecting it, but had hoped it would find her alone rather than in the middle of a crowd. She excused herself quickly, beginning to fear the contents and left before her emotions could get the best of her.

Hermione found a quiet corner in the corridors and admired her letter. It was rolled up and stamped with a wax seal, the letters 'WAOE' unmistakeable in the wax, and her fingers trembled. She wanted to open it so badly, but found she couldn't do it. She had sent away an application to the Witches Academy of England for further studies when she'd graduate from Hogwarts. In her hands was the letter that either accepted her inquiry into the school, or the heartbreak of rejection. Harry and Ron had both assured her many times over that she would get in, but there was still an ounce of doubt within her. Having missed all of last year's classes was sure to leave a mark. She only hoped that returning to Hogwarts to complete her schooling would stand out. She shoved the letter into her satchel, coming to the conclusion that she couldn't face the day if the worst ended up happening and she found out she was denied a spot. She decided it would be better opened at bedtime.

Making her way down the corridor that was beginning to fill up with students as they finished their breakfast, she headed to her first class.