"Have tea with me after classes?" Hermione stopped me in the corridor outside the Potions room where she had just taught the second years. I was going in to utilize the room in the free period. There was double 4th years potions at 2:00.

"What's going on?" I was concerned. I caught her by the elbow in a gesture of comfort.

"Nothing. Well, not nothing. You'll see." Hermione's smile lit up her face.

"All right. I'll be done with the 4th years at four."

"Good, just come straight home." She flitted off after that and I stood there stunned. What the fuck has happened to sullen, angry, self-righteous Hermione? Maybe my Hermione is back. Maybe, just maybe.

"Don't even entertain the thought." Ginny stood behind me and when I turned I saw her leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised haughtily.

"Did you see her?"

"Yes, yes, yes. I saw her. But for five ungodly long years you've been describing ever aspect of the darling Mrs. Weasley to me and frankly, Severus, you need to bloody snap out of it." We walked into the classroom now and Ginny shut the door behind us and warded it.

"I can't snap out of it, Ginny, I've always loved her. I know that sounds like a crazy lovesick thing to say, but maybe I don't want to forget her."

"Don't tell me you can't snap out of it. You dated Hermione for eleven months. I dated Harry for three years. And look what's happened to us? The same things, Severus. Harry left me, Hermione left you. One of us chose to go on with our life, confident that we were making the best decision possible in the situation. The other, you, have been moping around for five years. FIVE YEARS, man. You don't want to forget about her, but she's damn well forgotten about you! Don't even start to tell me that you can't, because I know you can, because I did."

"What did you come here for, Ginevra?" Irritation was creeping into my voice and her blue eyes flashed at me like ice.

"That is beyond the point right now. You're Severus bloody wanker Snape. You're telling me that you've been a spy for fourteen years, an all around jackass teacher for longer and you're telling me that one silly little bitch of a girl can defeat you? Please."

"She's the mother to my child."

"How do you know? She could have been fooling around all—" Ginny covered her mouth hastily and took a step back away from me.

"Ginevra." I growled, "You'd best explain yourself."

"I'm sorry, Severus, I didn't mean that."

"Ginny."

"It's not important."

"Ginny! Yes it is! This is the woman I love we're talking about here, and my child."

"I don't think Mairwen is your daughter." Ginny's voice was tired, resigned.

"What makes you think this?"

"I don't know. Just a hunch." She wouldn't meet my eyes. A lie.

"Just a hunch? When have you ever done anything just 'on a hunch'?"

"All right. I don't want to say it, all right? Hold on." Ginny pulled what looked like a miniature pensieve, enlarged it, and readied to pull the memory out.

"Ginny?" she looked up and stopped, "Do you still hear Voldemort's voice, Ginny?"

"That's not the point here." She made ready to start again.

"We'll beat him, Ginny, for everything he did to you."

"I know." She pulled a long, silvery thread from her temple and floated it to the handheld pensieve. She shivered when it lost contact with her skin. "Here you are. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

I braced myself although I was shaking terribly. Sighing a huge breath out I plunged my face into the memories.

I was behind Ginny as she walked down the sidewalk in muggle London. I believe we were in Piccadilly Circus. This looked to be about five years ago. Ginny had apparated into an alley and discarded her cloak into her satchel and pulled out a simple tan muggle trench coat. It was drizzling out and rather cold for July, only about 50 degrees or so. She was following a maze of streets at a quick pace, so I followed her.

She stopped in front of a six or so story apartment building which was wedged between a Sainsbury's grocery and an elementary school. I had been here before. It was Harry's apartment. She started to put out her hand to ring the buzzer but an enlightened look crossed her face. She darted over to the fire escape. As she started to climb I felt a pull of apprehension. Gods… how can what I think be happening really be happening?

I stood staring at the building and Ginny make her way up the ladder and I hurried behind her, only several steps behind. We reached the fourth floor fire escape and she was about to tap on the glass when she saw someone start to come through the door. She flattened herself to the brick beside the window and giggled, thinking she had caught Harry alone.

I was only an audience for the play going on around me, so I looked in the window. I tried to look away, but for once I couldn't. I was rooted to the spot.

Hermione. My Hermione was being kissed thoroughly by a man that was not me. And she wasn't fighting back. In fact, she was the aggressor and had quickly divested Harry of his clothes.

Ginny still stood with her back flat against the wall, smile still on her face. She moved to look in the window and I felt my stomach in my mouth.

The memory was slowing now, obviously what Ginny would feel bombarded me. Her mouth dropped open in a scream of pure pain and anguish. Her satchel came off her back and soon the window was smashed with it. Ginny crawled in hand over hand, legs and wrists and hands now cut to shreds. I entered after her just as quickly.

Harry was sitting up on the bed, his back against the headboard. Hermione was riding him, his hands cupping her buttocks, look of ecstasy on his face for a split second and then horror the next. Hermione had obviously heard the window break and propelled herself off of Harry's lap with a wet nasty slipping noise.

And there was Ginny, in all of her fury. Hermione had scrambled to pull a sheet around her body, Harry sat there shocked.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, her eyes wildly looking around.

"You bloody slut." Ginny was close enough to Hermione to get her face close enough to whisper deadly.

"This is wild, isn't it?" A laugh permeated the room, "Hermione Granger, my best friend. Harry Potter, MY boyfriend, and don't you ever forget that Granger. What else? Oh yes, Granger here is also fucking the man that's saved your life dozens of times over, Potter. You're both just sick. And he loves you, Granger!"

"Ginny…" Harry started, finally having the decency to get up and pull on his boxer shorts.

"Oh Harry. My God, Harry. I just wasn't enough. Because I wouldn't fuck you. My God."

"Ginny, look, it's not-" Hermione started

"Not what it looks like? Bloody fucking likely!" Ginny laughed harshly again.

Silence reined for a moment, Ginny's limbs dripping blood down onto the white carpet.

"I'll forget about you, Harry Potter." She was whispering again, but they could hear her perfectly, "But I'm sure that your guilt will never let you forget me. Both of you. I won't say anything. I won't tell you to burn in Hell. I just want you to know that you don't deserve me, Potter. Or you, Granger. I'm better than you."

And with a jolt, Ginny dissaperated.

I was back on my feet, my arms shaking as they held me up off the desk.

Ginny was sitting behind the desk now, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her cheeks betrayed her silent tears. She looked small and fragile sitting there.

"Ginny." I sunk to my knees beside her, putting my arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I really am."

"Do you see why I loathe her?" her voice was rough and breaking as she spoke the words.

"I do and I'm sorry you had to go through that." She cried a little longer while I held her.

"They must have gone crazy." she cried, "Because that's so unlike either of them. I don't even recognize Hermione now. And I went back to him."

"I am sorry, Ginny. I really am."

"How are you doing though?" she looked up at me with bleary eyes.

"It's been a long time, Ginny, and I'm sorry that I've been such a dunce."

"The baby does look like you though." Ginny said, blowing her nose on the proffered handkerchief.

"Does she have the nose?" I asked, a trace of humor in my voice.

"No, just the black hair, the pale skin." Ginny said.

"Ginny, I'm descended of Romany Gypsies, my skin is pale because this is Scotland!"

"This is ridiculous." Ginny sighed. "I wish I had a man that would love me five years after the fact."

Suddenly a pain flared on my forearm.

"No, no…not today!"

"What? It's not like I've complained a lot! I'm just saying that you're the perfect man! Gentle, doting and loyal. Great in the sack, I assume." Ginny shot me a cheeky grin, "Not that I'd know, I'm still a virgin."

"Not you, Ginny! Voldemort!" I pulled up my sleeve to let her see.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sev. Good luck."

"It's all right, Ginny." I started for the fireplace in my office. Before I disappeared from sight, I called back to Ginny: "Ginny, make sure I take you on a date after this is all over, would you?"

"She's waitin' by the window
When he pulls into the drive
She rushes out to hold him
Thankful he's alive
Through all the wind and rain
A strange new perfume blows
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
And the thunder rolls"

-Garth Brooks