Part Seven

Part Seven

By the time Sunday came around, Harry and Hermione were more than a little bit mad. They had both served a gruelling five hour detention for Snape" 'which involved cleaning the floor of his dungeon classroom with a rag and a bucket of water . Hermione was especially angry and wasted no opportunity to show just how ticked off she was.

She had stopped being her usual perfect self (though only in Transfiguration classes) and had spent most of these lesson glaring angrily at the back of McGonagall's head.

What didn't help was the fact they were being laughed at by a quater of the school. Malfoy had been able to convince all Slytherins of what he had 'seen' but the rest of the school remained sceptical. (Mainly because Fred and George kept holding very loud conversations outside the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms about how they would hex anyone who dared believe 'that little rat Malfoy' but that was besides the point.)

As they walked down the corridor that led to McGonagall's office, Hermione tensed up.

"If we get another detention I sware I'll.....I'll.....well I don't know yet, but it'll be bad!"

"Herm, calm down, why are you taking this so hard?" Harry questioned.

"Because it's damn hypocritical!" she raged. "Snape gave us a detention because we were supposedly getting off in that classroom, when God knows what he and McGonagall have been getting up to!"

"Well just calm down okay! Harry hissed as they neared the door of her office. "If she hears you saying things like that then she'll know I told you!" Hermione sighed, clenched her fist and rapped at the door.

"Come in," a voice from inside beckoned. Hermione entered and Harry followed. McGonagall was sat behind her desk looking strict. She motioned for them to sit. She chewed on her lip, looking as if she was trying to think of something to say. Eventually, she just sighed and shrugged. "If anyone asks, I made you file the homework parchments I received from my fifth year classes every year for the past nine years. That is all." And she gestured towards the door, as if to shoo them both away. Hermione voiced both their puzzlement.

"But-aren't you going to punish us Professor?"

"Punish you for what? I don't believe for one moment that Malfoy's allegations are true and I only made you come here because I told Professor Snape I would punish you as I saw fit, so as to get you both out of a weeks detentions."

"Oh." Was all Hermione could say. McGonagall sighed.

"I'm not a total hypocrite you know." Hermione frowned. Was it possible-could she know? "Yes, I know you know." McGonagall confirmed, as if reading Hermione's mind.

"Wh-how?" Harry stuttered.

"Maybe I'm psychic." She teased. "Or maybe I just overheard you having a conversation in the library about how 'sick' it is that Professor Snape and myself are together." She peered at Harry, bemused. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I didn't even mean to tell Hermione! I let one comment slip by accident and she worked it out!" McGonagall didn't seem at all surprised.

"I thought you would, sooner or later," she smiled at Hermione. "Don't worry, I'm not cross. It was rather a big secret to ask you to keep Harry. Although I would prefer it if you would refrain from making derogatory comments about our relationship in future," she added sternly. "Harry, you may go, but Hermione, a word if you please?" Harry stood up and whispered to Hermione, who reamained seated, that he'd meet her in the Gryfinndor common room later on. Hermione looked at McGonagall expectantly. Minerva smiled at her kindly.

"I wondered how long it would take you."

"Well it wasn't exactly hard, with Harry being the one 'keeping the secret'!"

"I just want to know if you're okay with this?"

"Ummm, okay with what?" Hermione asked, confused.

"This whole situation, me and Severus being together, you not telling anyone, etcetera." Hermione frowned.

"But it doesn't really makeany difference does it? I mean, you're not exactly going to break up just because I think this is disgusting are you?" Minerva rolled her eyes.

"It's not that bad is it?" she paused. "Okay, so maybe it is……"

"So, uh, why were you asking?" Hermione questioned.

"I just want to make sure you're alright with keeping this to yourself. I understand if you don't want to keep it secret. Afterall, it is pretty big gossip material."

"Pretty big? Try colossal. It's not every day that two people who loathe each other and are heads of houses which loathe each other turn around and say that they're seeing each other!" she exclaimed. But seeing McGonagall's worried look, she added: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Believe me, I know what it's like to have people stare and point at you!" Minerva laughed.

"Next time Malfoy so much as puts a foot out of line, I'll have him, believe you me." She smiled at Hermione fondly. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. Which makes me feel old, but that's besides the point. You're a clever girl Hermione, don't waste your time on people like Draco Malfoy. And if there's ever anything you need help with, anything at all, then don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Professor." Hermione smiled as she stood to leave. "oh, and, when I said I wouldn't tell anyone, Ron wasn't included in that right? It's just, I feel really guilty about not telling him." McGonagall sighed.

"Go ahead, tell Ron, just make sure Fred and George aren't lurking around when you do!"