The sun was still hidden somewhere in the huge solar system, so the only light which seemed to be guiding her while she jogged around the lake, was that of the moon, and starry skies.

He didn't mind though, she looked beautiful, how the lights made her seem to glow. Of course he would pretend he wasn't interested in watching her, and only reason he had made clear to her, was that he was only out there because he liked the stars.

"Beautiful."

Her long untamed hair, her creamy white skin, and the small beads of sweat making her look even more seductive to him. She most certainly was not the same girl, which she had been when she was one of his highest marked students, she was a woman now.

"Did you say something, Snape?"

He stared at her, then cleared his throat, "I just said beautiful," he noticed the confused expression on the young woman's face, and quickly looked at the stars, "The stars, that was what I was referring to," he lied.

She looked up at the stars, and sighed happily, "It is beautiful," she kept her eyes on the stars, and didn't notice the way her ex potion master was staring at her.

"Granger?" He started, but noticed the glare she gave him, "Sorry, Hermione."

She looked down at her hands, "Sorry, just feel like the child from your class when you address me by my last name." She looked at her watch, and gasped, "Shit, he's going to kills me," she looked at him for a moment, "Sorry Snape, can we carry on discussing this in the morning?"

He nodded, and watched as she apperated back into her quarters.

He knew why she had to hurry up, it was because of 'him' that boyfriend of hers. Probably didn't tell her boyfriend she was going to run at the lake, because she needed to get away from him. Severus apperated back to his quarters, which were across from the young woman.

"Bloody bastard," He cursed the young man, who was lucky enough to be the one to wake up next to her in the morning.

"He's a lucky man," Severus choked down a glass of firewhisky, then fell asleep in the chair in front of his fire place.

00000000

Hermione did a quick clean spell on herself, before going into the bedroom.

"Out by the lake, were we?"

She jumped at the sound of her boyfriends voice.

"Daniel," She held her palm to her chest, and forced a smile, "You frightened me."

"Did I now," He climbed from the bed, and made his way towards her, "I asked you not to go to the lake at this hour, I don't like waking to find nothing but air beside me," he wrapped his arms around her small frame, "I hardly visit you, and when I do I expect you to stay close by me."

She pulled out of his arms, "I'm not a child, I am a grown woman Daniel."

He pulled her roughly into another embrace, and glared at her, "Hermione, you don't want to make me mad do you now?"

She shook her head, she's seen him mad at others numerous of times, and knew what he had been capable of if forced over the edge, "I was running around the lake, and was having a discussion with Severus Sn-"

He tightened his grip around the woman's waist, "Severus, you two have become chummy haven't you, you talk about him in almost all the letters I receive from you when I get remembered," he lowered his face so his lips were close to her ears, "I don't think I like you talking to other men. You are to stop teaching, you will inform the headmaster. I want you to come home with me tomorrow night."

She glared at him, not caring how tight his grip was on her arms, or what he was capable of doing to her, "I am not leaving my students," she kicked her leg straight at his groins, causing him to release his grasp on her.

She hurried to where she kept her wand in her nightstand, but suddenly felt a sharp pain. She released a high pitched scream as she felt the pain rise up her waist.

"I did not ask this of you, I told you," He still had his wand aimed at the woman, as he moved towards where she was leaning against the wall, refusing to show the pain he caused her.

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Severus was woke up to a burning feeling around his wrist, where a gold bracelet was around his wrist. He had bought Hermione another one after she graduated her apprenticeship with him, told her it was charmed to inform him when something was wrong when working at the potions, so he would be able to get to her if he was away. In all truth though, he wanted it for her, so he knew rather or not she was being hurt, or in pain not by potions, but by anything.

He grabbed his wand, and hurried to where her room was across from her, "Granger, are you alright?!" He didn't even have time to knock, when Daniel opened the door with a false greeting.

"Well if it isn't the infamous Snape," Daniel was tall muscular, so he hardly found reason to fear other men, but he knew what Snape was capable of and it talk a little harder work to show he wasn't nervous.

Snape stared at the younger man, "I am here to see if Miss Granger is alright," he held his wrist, still feeling a slight burn, "Move out of my way."

Daniel stepped aside, and allowed the man to enter the quarters, "She is asleep, but if you wish to check on her feel free to check," he pointed to the room.

Snape stared hard at the young man, and started to read his mind to see what had taken place, he saw the grip he had on Hermione, then her kick him, and then the curse he cast on the young woman which caused her to scream. Then the panic on the other mans face when the door was knocked on, and then the sleep charm he placed on the young woman.

Daniel had no knowledge of the Potion Master's ability to read memories, he stared at the older man, "Well if you decided not to check on her, I would-"

"Crucio!" Snape watched as the young man fell to the floor, "Hermione is not going anywhere with you, Mr. Preston," he bounded the man, and then hurried into Hermione's room.

She appeared to be asleep, he noticed the spell wear off and her eyelids flutter, before her eyes were completely open. She screamed as she held onto her waist, "Make it stop!"

He sat on the edge of her bed, and took her hand, "Mione it will pass," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vile, "Drink this please, it will lesson the pain," he helped holding her head, so he was able to pour the liquid down her throat.

She stared up at him, "He wanted me to quit teaching, and move with him," she laid back against the pillow, "I don't think I could ever leave this place, this has been my home since my parents life were tooken," she had tears in her hand.

"You aren't going anywhere, I will take him to Albus, and he will be gone forever," He still held onto her small hands, "I thought you never wear that bracelet, never seen it on you."

"I charmed it to appear invisible, Daniel didn't like the idea I wear jewelry from other men," She held her stomach.

"Why were you even be with that jerk?" Snape's grip tightened around her hand, and quickly loosened it when he realize what he was doing.

"I don't really remember, met him when I visited Viktor, and when Viktor died we ended up spending a lot of time with each other, Preston and I, he was on the same Quidditch team as Viktor. I met him at Viktor's funeral after that, he had been sweet the first yerar we were together, never hurt me until," she paused as she stared at Snape, then laughed softly, "Until I started telling him about things we did in our apprenticeship. When you took me to the Convention in America, he started coming more to see me, after you and I went on that trip."

He had a smug look, 'I actually made that bastard jealous,' he smiled at her, knowing she was thinking the same thing, "I am an old man Hermione, don't know why any less lucky man would be jealous," he looked at her watching as she tried not to laugh, "I mean it is obvious the grease in my hair flatters me, and my bat wings make me specially more of a threat to those men," he gave her a side glance, "I know what everyone called me, Greasy git, and old bat when you were a student."

"Well you know boys," She smiled at him, "I am feeling tired now," she closed her eyes.

"I will just take the trash to Dum-" Snape started, but was caught off when he felt her soft hand on his hand, he looked at her, "Another pain?"

"Don't leave," She still had her eyes shut.

He cupped her hand in between his, "I will come right back, I will floo him to Dumbledore, I promise I will be here when you awake," he waited for her response before taking Daniel through the floo to Dumbledore's office.

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TWO MONTHS LATER HOLIDAYS

Hermione was slightly bent over one of the sixth years, helping the young girl with the potion, "Johanna Sweeney, that is good, you really are improving," she smiled at the girl, before making her way back to the center. She had arranged the class so that way they were able to see all her all the same, she charmed the room so that ways all the desk recorded the lessons for the students to copy down, instead of trying to read a black board, "I want you all to do something for me while on you breaks for the holidays."

The class groaned, not liking the idea of having to do something school related during the holiday.

"Miss Granger, it's a break, thought that meant no school related stuff was to be done," Complained Shawn, a Slytherine.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I have given each of you two journals each, one is for you parents to keep, and the other is for you, that way you could communicate back and fourth, I also have one with each of your names for myself, if you ever wish to share anything with me. I give all my sixth years this, because this is the year you are to decide what careers you plan to pursue in after graduating in your seventh year. I wish for you to have fun in your breaks."

The class clapped, as they all gathered there things.

"What are you doing for the holidays Miss Granger?" Brit, who was a Gryffindor, asked.

"I am going to see some friends on Christmas, but mostly I will stay here," She smiled at the blonde.

"How lonely for you," Came Snape's voice.

The students froze, when the other Portions Professors entered, they watched as he approached there Potions Mistress. He had come into her classes almost every day, they talked about the two Professors secretly dating, or shagging in the broom closet.

The Slytherin's gave there Head Of House a sly grin, before leaving.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the looks some of her girls from her house were giving her, "Wonder what new idea they will come up with now."

"Merlin only knows," He leaned against one of the desks, "Question for you, Mia."

She smiled at the name he gave her, thinking back from him hardly calling her 'Hermione' straight to 'Mia' after that night he took care of her, "What is it you wanted to ask me, Sev'?"

He rolled eyes at that name, knowing she only did it whenever he called her 'Mia'. He cleared his throat, "So what are you doing for the break?"

"I was going to stay at the castle, get some reading done, and go to the Burrow on Christmas, why?" She looked expectantly at him, then started busying herself.

"Well I was going house shopping for, thought you might want to help me choose," He made his way over where she now was cleaning one of the desk.

"Well why would you want to buy a house, you have the Manor, I thought," She turned to look at him, but hadn't realized he was so close to him, she grabbed his shoulders as she stumbled on the leg of the desk.

"Well I want to have a home that is not filled with so much bad memories," He held her from under her arms, and stared down into her golden brown eyes.

:She thought for a moment, then smiled, "Sure, I don't have nothing else to do until Christmas," she waved her wand, causing all the desk, and chairs to straighten, "Daniel, and I talked about getting married during my break," she wiped her eyes, as tears ran down her pale face. "Maybe I wasn't meant to be married."

He cursed the bastard under his breath, "Mia, you could do better then that man," he held her to his chest, "I know there is a man who is in love with you," he lowered his face to her ear, "He will know how to make you feel like the most important woman in the world."

She shivered as he used his seductive tone, "Oh," she close her eyes feeling his hot breath against her neck, "Really?"

He lifted her chin, and stared at her, "Oh yes," he stroked her cheek, "Without a second thought," He stepped away, almost causing the young woman to fall, he allowed his scowl to return, as he prepared to leave her classroom, "I will see you at the staff Christmas party tonight."

She watched as he left her classroom, "Yeah alright," she said to the air around her.