Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.

Any constructive criticism or reviews are extremely welcome, I adore feedback of any kind. Enjoy the chapter. Unfortunately, I have exams coming up and so the next chapter of this story will not be out next week, but two weeks today.

Warning: this chapter does contain a fair amount of language at certain points, sorry if it offends you but I wanted to get the strong feelings across.

Take A Chance

"Everything has been figured out, except how to live."

Jean-Paul Sartre

Hermione found herself gaining more hope after seeing Kingsley - the meeting had confirmed to her that all her friends were currently alive and well, as well as the fact that at least one member of the Order knew the truth about both Severus and Rabastan's loyalties. As promised, Kingsley had somehow managed to sneak Severus into Hogwarts before the children returned and they were now in possession of a rather large collection of books on the four founders. The books all had spells preventing them being copied and Hermione was worried about what would happen if Madame Pince realised the books were missing, but Kingsley said he would ensure no one noticed - she didn't quite know how he was going to manage that, but she was grateful he would.

With all the new information they'd received from the books, they could now be positive that the Ravenclaw heirloom holding a Horcrux was Rowena's diadem, of course trying to locate exactly where it was seemed to proving a little more difficult. Still, they were hopeful about the destruction of some Horcruxes as Kingsley had been charged with subtly delivering the information about Nagini and Hufflepuff's cup to Harry and the rest of the Order and he had promised to let them know if the Horcruxes were destroyed.

A month had passed since their meeting with Kingsley and Hermione had seen no one but Severus and Rabastan since then, though she knew Severus had spoken to Kingsley through messages and met with him once. Despite the urge to see her friend again, she knew the reasons why it would be unwise and she didn't bring it up with Severus, it would seem very ungrateful after everything he and Rabastan had done for her. She had been stuck in Voldemort's headquarters for a good few months and she was becoming very close to both Severus and Rabastan, especially since they were her only human contact, if you didn't count Draco, Remus and Voldemort her first day in captivity and the short meeting with Kingsley.

The semi-isolation had bothered her at first, but she was so used to it now that she barely noticed it, wrapped up in research or practicing her wandless magic. The meeting with Kingsley had helped too, reassured her, and she felt less of an urge to see her friends. She would still occasionally cry herself to sleep at night worrying about and missing them, but Severus never mentioned it, realising it would be horribly embarrassing, and those nights were getting rarer. She didn't miss her friends any less, she just got more used to not seeing them.

While her friendship with Rabastan was growing each day, Hermione really had no idea what state her relationship with Severus was in. Most of the time it just confused the hell out of her, because one moment he would be as amiable as Severus normally was, but the next moment he would be snarky, sarcastic and vicious, none of them in a playful way. His seemingly bipolar behaviour was really giving her headaches and she never knew how to act since she didn't know how he'd react to a joke or teasing comment.

They'd returned from the meeting with Kingsley and Severus had been a lot more amiable than normal - she'd practiced wandless magic and he'd taken the opportunity to touch her more than normal, nothing major, just correcting her hand movements, things like that. The next day she had mentioned how glad she'd been to see Kingsley and his mood had gone sour - he hadn't spoken to her without some form of malice for four days straight and she'd cried herself to sleep three of those nights, missing her friends and distressed by his mood.

She didn't know what the fuck was going on and the only logical conclusion she could come to was that he was, dare she say it, jealous. For he only seemed to drop into a bad mood when she mentioned one of her male friends - he was unbothered by any mention of Ginny, Tonks or Luna. She wanted to dismiss that idea as ridiculous, she'd never be so lucky that he would actually like her back - he must just be annoyed by her mention of people he tended to dislike.

After two weeks of such treatment, Hermione decided she was sick of getting whiplash from Severus' sudden changes in mood. She wasn't quite brave enough to confront him about his behaviour yet and so she decided she would do the next best thing - talk to Rabastan, the wizard who probably knew Severus the best, excepting the omniscient Dumbledore of course. She had to be sure that Severus would be out of the way for a good few hours before the attempted to talk to Rabastan, the conversation could obviously never happen when Severus was around and it wouldn't do for him to walk in halfway through. She got more and more desperate as another week passed and no opportunity for an in-depth conversation with Rabastan arose.

However, she was saved from doing something drastic to get him out of the room when he announced he was "performing services for the Dark Lord that will keep me occupied all day - Rabastan will baby-sit."

She resented the babysitting comment, they all knew she was far from a child, but she didn't argue, something that surely shocked him, merely glad that she would finally have the opportunity to speak with Rabastan without resorting to doing something that would likely get her hexed.

Severus had disappeared to complete whatever odious tasks Voldemort set for him with nothing more than a simple goodbye and a reminder not to do anything stupid. Hermione once again felt like a child being scolded, even though she hadn't even done anything. She was glad Rabastan was coming, she didn't know how much more of Severus' cold, horrid behaviour she could take. Sure, she'd dealt with him being malicious at Hogwarts, but that was a few hours a week, staying in his quarters she had to cope with him and his bloody moods all day long, which wasn't easy considering she was already on edge about the safety of her friends and the possibility that Voldemort might decide to kill her any day.

She got to work on some research, trying to take her mind of the complexities of her relationship with Severus, but found work difficult and was very relieved when Rabastan entered the room, about an hour after Severus had left it. She stood to greet him, mouth curving into a smile at the sight of the wizard so many feared, but who was lovable and playful deep down. Still, she wasn't quite able to hide the toll that worry and lack of sleep resulting from that worry had taken on her and he looked concerned.

"What's wrong Mia?" he asked as he hugged her in greeting, "you look tired - have you been getting enough sleep?"

She smiled at his anxiety, it was a welcome change to what she'd been putting up with from Severus recently and reminded her a little of the paternal concerns someone like Kingsley or Remus would show, though Rabastan's true personality - mostly playful and teasing - meant she would never consider him a paternal figure.

"I'm ok Rabastan," she told him, "just haven't been getting much sleep, you know how I worry and Severus hasn't exactly been the most delightful companion these past few weeks."

Rabastan gave a snort, "now that's putting it lightly Mia, I've seen him in some pretty shaky moods and, excepting some of the darker things we've had to do for the Dark Lord and Lily's death of course, this is one of his worst ones."

Hermione sighed softly at the reminder of Severus' less than happy life, but Rabastan had given her the opening she needed to talk about Severus, obviously noticing how he'd been behaving the past few weeks.

"Erm, Rabastan, do you mind if we talk please, I'm just a little confused and since you know Severus best, well so does Dumbledore too I suppose, but its not the sort of thing you want to talk about with your deceased ex-Headmaster really."

She paused when he laughed and put a finger on her lips to silence her, "you're rambling Mia, you only do that when you're nervous."

She gave a sheepish grin, "sorry Rabastan, its just I really am confused. I have no delusions about his personality, I know he can be a caustic bastard, that he's normally cold and sarcastic, but I've seen a better side to him, an amusing, intelligent, brilliant one and I want it back. It's like he's punishing me for something and I just don't know what the fuck I did."

Rabastan sat down, patting the spot on the sofa next to him, "I can see where this conversation is going Mia, I'm rather surprised it took you so long to figure it out though, you are supposed to be a genius after all."

She scowled and slapped his side, "I figured it out a little while ago, it sort of came to me gradually and I was more than a little freaked out, I mean he isn't exactly the sort of guy who'd be interested in Harry Potter's bookish, teenage best friend is he?"

She gave a little sniff and Rabastan wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug, something she rarely got these days, "don't say that Mia, you've got loads going for you, it's just you don't realise it."

She snorted, "you're just trying to make me feel better, in case you haven't noticed, Severus has been foul to me practically all the time ever since we got back from the meeting with Kingsley."

Rabastan just laughed - he actually laughed at her distress. She scowled and he stopped, though a smile still lingered, "sorry Mia, it's just, I thought you'd realise - Severus is jealous."

Well, she'd considered that of course, she was a logical person and considered all possibilities, but she'd written it off almost immediately because it was completely ridiculous for someone like him to like someone like her.

Rabastan had obviously interpreted her expression because he shook his head, partly amused and partly exasperated, "Mia, Severus is not too good for you, if anything you are probably too good for him, but that doesn't matter if you both like each other. Trust me when I say that the way he is acting is mostly due to jealousy, you were so comfortable with Shacklebolt, so happy - he wishes he could give you that. He knows how difficult a relationship between the two of you would be, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. So tell me Mia, what exactly do you feel for our resident snarky Potions Master?"

She laughed sharply, "simple question Rabastan, but it's a hell of a complex answer. He can bring out the best in me, the part that thrives on intellectual conversation and feels that she can take on the world if she chose. He also brings out my Slytherin side too, though I suppose I have you to thank for that as well. He makes me feel happy, clever and alive. The problem is, he can make me feel like total crap too and I know he's got his reasons - hell, if anyone has reason to be bitter and angry, it's him - but I just hate it that someone I like, maybe even love, so much could make me feel like that. Surely it shouldn't be like that."

He shrugged, "for boring couples maybe, perhaps even for normal ones, but neither you nor Severus are normal Mia. If you were together then I know there would be arguments from hell, you can both be pretty volatile and stubborn when you wish. But there would also be passion - though Merlin knows I don't want to start talking about that with you, you're like my bloody sister. Just promise me that if you and Severus ever do the dirty, you will never let me hear any intimate details."

She gaped at him, red tinting her cheeks and completely mortified, but still a little pleased by the way he casually referred to her like his sister.

"I doubt it would ever come to that Rabastan, he just doesn't like me that way."

Rabastan shook his head once more, "of course he does," he told her, "just talk to him, tell him how you feel and you may well be surprised by how things turn out."

She nodded with resignation, "fine, but only because I know you'd just bug me till I did. But if everything goes to hell you know I'm holding you personally responsible."

He grinned, "wouldn't have it any other way Mia."

With all the heavy emotional talk out of the way, Rabastan soon reverted back to his childish self, while Hermione regained some of her cheerfulness. He helped her with some more research, watching over her carefully to prevent her getting near any books harmful to muggleborns. She also practiced her wandless magic for a little while, though it was just going over what she had already learnt - she'd already surpassed Rabastan's skill so he couldn't help her. Despite this, he had lots of fun watching her make objects fly round the room with just a wave of her hand and laughing as she changed his hair colour from its natural dark brown to pink to red to green and back to brown.

Rabastan was relieved to see Hermione in better spirits, she hadn't been at all happy for a while, not really since their meeting with Kingsley Shacklebolt. He hoped it would work out between her and Severus, they fit together somehow.

He was broken from his reverie by a knock on the door and his eyes shot to Hermione's with alarm. Severus didn't need to knock to get into his own quarters, meaning it was obviously a loyal death eater.

"Make sure you're reading something related to destroying Potter," he told her, "and for Merlin's sake don't look happy to be around me. Remember, you're scared, sad, lonely, worried and most likely in pain."

She nodded minutely, he steeled himself for the ensuing meeting and opened the door.

The swearwords racing through his head when he saw who was at the door would have made a sailor blush - Lucius Malfoy was right outside and Severus wasn't there to help.

Lucius looked him up and down haughtily - the snob always did think he was better than Rabastan - "what are you doing here Rabastan, as far as I'm aware, these are Severus' quarters."

Rabastan nodded, "yes Lucius, but Severus has some work to do today for our Lord and asked me to come and keep an eye on the mudblood - not my favourite pastime, but I have nothing better to do."

Lucius sneered, "well you wouldn't, I doubt the Dark Lord trusts you as he does me." Rabastan just snorted, "you're deluding yourself there Lucius - you haven't been in the Dark Lord's good books for years so stop pretending. Our Lord trusts me and that is all that matters - now, was there a reason for your little visit or do you just like to waste better wizards' time."

The blonde wizard sniffed haughtily, "I came to see what the mudblood whore is like, after all who knows what will become of her when her use to the Dark Lord has run out, she may be given as a gift to one of the faithful."

Rabastan felt his anger rising and worked hard to quell it before he showed his true feelings to Lucius - that sick, perverted bastard was going to be first in line on his kill list when his charade as a loyal death eater was over.

"I don't know why you bothered to come then," he told Lucius, "it's not like you'll be getting anywhere near her - the Dark Lord knows of your perversions and she will be useful for a while yet. If any of us will get her it is likely to be Severus and you know how he doesn't like to share."

Not exactly a lie - Severus played as very territorial in order to keep his 'gifts' to himself and either end their suffering or somehow set them free. Anyway, Hermione would be more protected if Lucius thought twice about going near her.

Lucius' eyes narrowed - Rabastan knew the snobby blonde didn't like him, but he also knew that the dislike had escalated to almost a hatred now - "despite what the Dark Lord chooses," he sneered, "I still wish to see her. Must make sure she's doing what she's been kept around for - it is in our Lord's best interests to destroy Potter and send him to his precious Dumbledore as soon as possible."

"If you insist Lucius, you may of course see her, but I will inform Severus, especially if you try something - he doesn't like other people encroaching on what is his, whether temporarily or permanently. I will of course let the Dark Lord know if you do something to prevent the mudblood from carrying out the assignment she has been given."

The not so subtle threats appeared to have been heard, though Rabastan didn't know whether Lucius would listen. He was a fairly intelligent wizard but he could be an idiot at times and if he was as interested in Hermione as Severus thought then he could be dangerous to her. Stepping aside to let Lucius in, Rabastan's eyes quickly met Hermione's and he assessed that she had thankfully heard little of the conversation - he was glad, she didn't need to hear what he was forced to say and the crap coming from Lucius.

When Rabastan and Severus had spoken with Hermione about how to act around loyal death eaters they had tried not to make it too complicated - "be fairly submissive, trust me Mia, a few months under Severus, if he were loyal to the Dark Lord, would be enough to make even the strongest person afraid of him. You can act nervous and scared too, though I doubt there'd be much acting involved. No matter what you want to say, please don't talk back because even though they probably won't hurt you, Severus or I will be expected to and we don't want to do that."

She managed fairly well, he thought, keeping relatively calm despite the hitch in her breath when she saw Lucius and the slight quickening of her heart. She didn't look up as the Malfoy patriarch walked over to her, only looking at him when he used that stupid cane of his, which hid his wand, to tip her chin up so he could look at her face. She tried not to let the disgust show on her face, knowing the consequences would be bad, and managed to put on a passive expression, though hints of fear slipped through.

"So we meet again Miss Granger, though I suppose these aren't quite the circumstances you would wish. You have certainly grown since the last time I saw you," he leered a little as his eyes raked over her form and she couldn't help but shudder a little.

"You are such an intriguing mudblood, such intelligence and passion, it is fascinating. Hopefully I shall have my turn once your use is over, we shall see."

He lifted on hand a stroked it fleetingly across her cheek, her eyes widening at the unwanted contact, before turning to Rabastan, "I shall see myself out and, of course, I will inform the Dark Lord that the mudblood is doing as instructed in regards to the Potter boy's destruction."

He nodded once to Rabastan, glanced again at Hermione and swept out of the door.

Hermione barely noticed she was trembling slightly until Rabastan wrapped his arms around her petite frame, "it's ok Mia, he's gone now and if I have anything to do with it he won't be back any time soon, we won't let him hurt you."

She nodded slightly, gripping onto him tightly, and he knew the whole incident, especially what Lucius had said to her, had shaken her quite a bit. He was trying to calm her, but also himself, for his mind was running through ways to kill the sick fucker in his sleep. He was almost glad he hadn't thought to employ the small amount of leglimency he knew on Lucius, who had no occlumency skills whatsoever, as it would likely have caused him to kill the wizard on the spot.

"You have to ignore what Lucius says Mia, he won't get his hands on you, despite what he thinks. The Dark Lord only really keeps him round for the money he gives to the cause, the bastard isn't particularly efficient and he tends to have a little too much fun with torture, which wastes time." Crap - he really shouldn't have mentioned that to her.

"Look Mia, just forget about it, tonight you need to talk to Severus about your feelings and I'll save the information on Lucius' little visit till tomorrow so you can talk while he isn't in a murderous rage."

She nodded and leant back against him as he tried to calm her a little more. Hopefully her talk with Severus would go well - someone could do with being happy in this dump.

Hermione was nervous - more nervous even than she had been going into Hogwarts for the first time - she was about to confess her feelings to Severus Snape. She didn't care what Rabastan said, she was almost positive that he wouldn't feel the same, how could he love, or even like, a frizzy haired know-it-all. Sure, her hair wasn't exactly frizzy any more, but curly, and she didn't have her buck-teeth any longer. She might even say he could find her intelligence endearing, since he himself was academic. But still, she couldn't believe he would possibly like her. She would tell him how she felt, he would shoot her down and there would be awkwardness for the rest of her stay in Voldemort's gloomy lair.

Despite all this, she would still tell him, because it was better than wondering what he was feeling, wondering what could be. She might as well get it all out in the open so at least she has some closure. Not to mention Rabastan keeps calling her a coward and she can't allow that. She's not petty, she just doesn't appreciate being called something that is so opposite to what her Hogwarts house is supposed to encompass - bravery.

Rabastan had left half an hour ago, when Severus returned, after winking in her direction. Damn it, Severus can probably sense her nervousness, he's just perceptive like that, but at this moment she isn't particularly pleased by that fact.

"Honestly Hermione, what are you pacing for, you've been doing it since I got back and its more than a little irritating. Sit down and read for a while, I need silence while I go through your notes."

So he was in that kind of mood then, well it wasn't like she hadn't been putting up with it for weeks, she was used to it by now. She sat opposite him and picked up a random book, something on the history of wizarding Britain, flicked it open and began to read, though she wasn't really taking the words in. Inside she was trying desperately to work out some way, preferably the least embarrassing one, to tell Severus how she felt about him. Someone more impulsive might have just told him straight off, but Hermione tended to think things through, especially important things, and she wouldn't just say it - she just didn't think it would mean as much that way.

They sat is silence, Hermione thinking while trying to remember to turn the book pages every now and then, if she forgot it would be the sort of thing Severus would notice. An idea hit her about an hour after Severus returned - she would confront him about his behaviour around her and hopefully get a feel for his feelings for her before she revealed her own.

She waited until Severus had finished with the majority of her notes before she broached her first question, getting straight to the point, "Severus, why have you been in such a foul mood for the past few weeks?"

He stopped flicking through pages immediately, his dark eyes turning to look at her and a deep scowl on his face - great, she'd asked one question and he was already mad.

"I wasn't aware I had been acting any differently Hermione," he said, and she knew she should be grateful he was still calling her Hermione rather than reverting back to Miss Granger.

Still, it was annoying that he was denying what was blatantly obvious and she wasn't happy about it, "don't play ignorant Severus, it doesn't suit you. Ever since we went to meet with Kingsley you've acted all moody with me and I don't know what I did wrong. If I didn't know better then I'd say you were jealous of Kingsley."

His eyes flashed dangerously, but she was glad she'd finally got a reaction out of him, "I have no idea what you are talking about Hermione," he said calmly, despite the fact that there was an undercurrent of anger there.

That did it, if he wasn't going to be honest then how were they supposed to have the bloody conversation about feelings. She didn't quite know how it had happened, but one moment he was staring moodily at her as she glared at him and the next he had silenced the room and they were standing about five feet apart yelling at each other.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH SEVERUS, THAT'S ALL I ASK - THE TRUTH RATHER THAN JUST IGNORING ME OR BEING HORRIBLE."

"YOU WANT THE TRUTH, FINE I WAS JEALOUS OF SHACKLEBOLT - I HATED HIM FOR THE WAY HE COULD JUST CASUALLY TOUCH YOU, HUG YOU, WITHOUT ANYONE SAYING ANYTHING."

"OH, SO YOU DECIDED THAT I HAD TO SUFFER THEN, YOU JUST IGNORED ME OR LASHED OUT - CAN'T YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD THAT I DON'T EVEN LIKE KINGSLEY THAT WAY - HE'S MY FRIEND."

"BUT YOU LIKE SOMEONE, I KNOW THAT MUCH HERMIONE SO DON'T DENY IT, I CAN TELL. WHO IS IT? RABASTAN, I SEE THE TWO OF YOU LAUGHING AND JOKING ALL THE TIME. IS IT HIM."

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE SEVERUS, I DO NOT FANCY RABASTAN, HE IS LIKE MY FUCKING BROTHER."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath, before stepping a little closer to him, "honestly Severus, I can't believe you didn't notice, Rabastan said he bloody knew weeks ago, months even. You are the idiotic, oblivious, intelligent, brilliant, sarcastic wizard that I love."

She took another few steps forward until she was almost touching Severus. Then, with a lot of courage and just a little daring, she reached up on her toes and kissed him.

He seemed rather shocked, but after a few second he kissed back and she thought that was a good sign, he must like her to be kissing her. It wasn't anything like her first kiss with Viktor, which had been sweet and really a little tame and had ended after she'd elbowed him for trying to feel under her top. This kiss was a lot like she'd imagined one with Severus would be - not that she spent all her time dreaming about it. It was rather passionate, but they had both been arguing rather fiercely and she guessed it was partly due to that.

It also felt very right and if Hermione had previously had any reservations about a relationship with Severus, they all flew out of the window with that kiss. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him, a feeling she enjoyed immensely.

When they finally broke apart, seconds later, though it felt like hours, both were breathless and while Hermione was rather dazed, despite the fact that she had initiated the kiss, Severus had a tiny smirk on his face, along with an expression of intense satisfaction.

"I've been wanting to do that for weeks," he told her in the sensual, silky voice she loved so much, no longer marred my annoyance or anger.

That sentence told her all she needed to know - Rabastan had been right and Severus liked her back. She felt like she was floating so entirely happy that she barely remembered she was still stuck in Voldemort's headquarters trying to find a way to save Harry and destroy an evil wizard.

When Severus, obviously taking her smile as an invitation, bent his head and began kissing her again, all coherent thought left her head and she knew only one thing - she could definitely get used to this.

Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapter, it was much appreciated; 2angelwings, J.R. Westmore, Artemis Decibal, goob21, The Sexy Muggle Librarian, Hermitt, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and HyperStallion.

Next chapter, in which Hermione, Severus and Rabastan plot, while more about Draco's true loyalties are revealed, will be up in two weeks.