Severus glanced over at her at the high table during breakfast. As always, her eyes were rimmed red and her lips puffy and pouted from crying. Every morning, just the same, the two of them sat side by side, as joyless and empty as each other.
Headmistress McGonagall leant over to Hermione to bid her good morning. Hermione gave a cold nod in response and looked out over the crowd, emotionlessly.
Severus leant in to her ear and whispered something, nodding to the Slytherin table.
Hermione frowned and looked at Severus with a raised eyebrow.
He smirked. And shrugged.
And she burst out laughing.
He knew that he could get her through this.