Taking a deep breath, Hermione stood before Snape's office door. She felt her gut urging her to run away, back to the common room. But she knew she had to do this. This would help Harry, and he couldn't get any madder at her. Raising her good arm, Hermione knocked on the door that seemed to fly open seconds later.

"What do you want, Granger?" Spat Snape.

"Professor, I need to speak with you." Hermione said defiantly.

"What could you possibly have to speak to me about?"

"Harry," Hermione stated looking into his cold eye.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "you may come in."

Snape motioned for Hermione to take a seat before his desk, as he sat on the other side. "What seems to be the problem with Mister Potter?" Snape was obviously trying to hide the curiosity in his voice, although he was still disgusted by Harry's behavior with Luna that he caught earlier.

"I am aware that you know, Harry was injured before his fall during Quidditch practice," Hermione began as Snape leaned forward. "I'm sure you've been wondering how—"

"I could care less about Potter." Snape interrupted. "And I'm surprised you, his good friend, is here to rat out his mischievous business."

Hermione looked at Snape. Mischevious? Now it was even clearer to her what exactly Snape was thinking that Harry received his injuries from, some kind of trouble he was finding himself in, like usual Voldemort misfortune.

"Professor, I'm afraid you're mistaken." Snape glared an eye at her. "Harry… Harry has been abused over the summer."

Snape's peering eyes opened a bit wider in surprised, which he instantly tried to cover. "I'm not going to fall for you making excuses to cover for Potter." Snape said, unsure if she was telling the truth or concealing what was really occurring.

"Professor Snape, please! I'm not lying about this. His uncle beat him all summer. I wouldn't lie about this. I've told Dumbledore and he hasn't done a thing!" Snape realized now that's what she was to see him about that day they ran into each other in his office. "I knew you wouldn't forget something like your suspicions of Harry's injuries and that's why I decided to tell you as well!"

"Get up," Snape sneered. "You won't come into my office and tell me lies." Snape stood up in his chair and walked closer to Hermione.

She looked up from her chair into his cold eyes and pleaded him to believe her. As much as Snape was actually starting to begin to believe her, he still just wanted her out of his office so he could analysis the situation and discover the possibility of Harry's truth for himself.

Looking down at Hermione he told her again she has said her squabble and now needs to leave. Hermione still wanted to make sure Snape really did believe her; she wasn't going to leave until she was certain. She wanted someone to help her now and she was going to do anything to get that. Except then Snape reached his hand down and snatched her by the elbow, on her bad arm, to remove her himself.

Hermione yelped in pain as Snape instantly let go, feeling a bone wiggle in his hand, and looked at her in the eyes, peering into her mind. Yet Snape didn't say a word as Hermione fell back down into her chair.

"Sorry, Professor, I um, bumped into a bookcase in the library." Hermione said, as she stood up and went to the door, looking away from him. For her eyes began to glisten in painful tears. "Thank you," she politely sighed as she left his office, shutting the door behind her, knowing Snape had probably discovered her secret as well.

Sitting back down in his desk chair, Snape sighed. It all made sense to him now. He knew he was wrong about what he believe Harry was up to. For a moment Snape stared into the gloom of his dark office, maybe he and Harry weren't so different after all. Snape recalled some abusive memories from his past. Then Snape shook the thought from his head, after all it was Potter he was thinking about. They would never be the same. And Hermione, too, Snape couldn't believe these two discoveries. He leaned back in his office chair as he pondered what he might do about his newfound discovery.

Meanwhile, outside Snape's office, Hermione stood in the murky dungeon hallway, rubbing her sore arm. When she heard someone walk up to her. Hermione twisted her head to see who was there. Draco Malfoy was approaching her, quickly.

"What happened?" He asked looking at her arm.

"Nothing, really," Hermione sighed, too stressed that Snape knew her secret to care who she was talking to.

"Yeah, right," Draco said sarcastically, and gently put a hand on her shoulder, and he was surprised when Hermione didn't push it off. She certainly wasn't rejecting him like she did during their previous encounter.

"What are you doing in the dungeons again anyways?" Hermione asked.

"Can't I visit my favorite professor?" Malfoy said wittily, beckoning towards Snape's door. Hermione rolled her eyes and began to take a step away. "Wait," Draco began. "If you tell about your secret I'll tell you mine."

Hermione spun around, her hair twirled around her. "What do you mean? I have no secret," Hermione said annoyed that another person was catching onto her.

"I know you, you're tough. You would have a trembling lip over an injury that wasn't pretty harsh. So what'd you do to it?" Draco said moving closer to her.

"Well you're wrong. I'm a huge wimp and I just bumped it." Hermione added with a little sass.

Draco ignored her last statement, "Alright, I'll tell you my secret first, if that'll help you open up." Hermione looked at him, intrigued. "My parents, they're spies for The Order."