.

The bra affair

When Hermione saw Snape at breakfast the next morning he still looked rather tired, but collected. She had wondered if he'd show up since that would probably be the time when the news of the murder would be broken to the teachers and students. And she had been right. Unlike most of Voldemort's recent attacks, the murder of Agnes and her family had made the front page of the Daily Prophet, shocking the students and especially the teachers who had taught her. Flitwick, her old Head of House, couldn't prevent tears from running down his cheeks, and McGonagall got very white and stared into nothingness, her mouth pressed into a thin line. The other teachers were either silent with shock or discussed this new attack furiously. Snape sat between them very still, staring down at his plate, but hardly eating. Hermione caught Dumbledore looking at him with an expression of great sadness, but when Snape finally glanced up and met her eyes she looked away quickly, not wanting him to think that she had been observing him.

The following days Hermione and Snape were busy completing the final potion needed for the ritual. The teachers who were responsible for the charms and incantations still had a few problems, and Flitwick and Dumbledore were discussing if they should consult Elektra Anistaphala, who after all was one of the leading charms experts and would also be valuable when they'd actually perform the ritual. The real problem however was that even when they got all the potions and incantations right they still had to get Voldemort into a position where they could perform the ritual on him and where he wouldn't struggle against it. Hermione had no idea how they could ever affect that, but Dumbledore told them that he'd see to it and they all trusted him well enough not to doubt him.

Snape never mentioned what had happened the night before, but slowly the cautious and distanced way in which he had behaved towards her ever since their return from Germany relaxed again. Hermione was glad for the return to near-friendship and felt disproportionally happy every time she could elicit as much as a tiny smile from him. As far as she knew Snape hadn't been called again, and she hoped it would stay like that for as long as possible.

On a Saturday evening at the end of May, Hermione set out for Luna's rooms to celebrate her birthday. Neville, Lupin, Hagrid, Harry, Ron and Ginny were coming as well, and she was looking forward to a pleasant evening with her friends, sitting around eating good food and chatting animatedly.

Luna, however, had different ideas, and when she had opened their presents she told them that she'd prepared a game for them.

"A game?" Harry said questioningly while Luna smiled at him, a slightly dreamy look in her eyes.

"It's a bit like a paper chase," she explained. "You'll split into three teams and you'll have to solve certain riddles to be able to find the prize. The group which brings it back first without damaging it, and without using magic at all, will not only get the prize, but also two tickets for the match Puddlemere United vs. Chudley Cannons."

Next to Hermione Ron suddenly sat up straight and she noticed with a smile that Harry and Ginny looked rather eager as well.

"How did you get them?" Ron asked excitedly. "It's really hard to get tickets."

Luna only smiled softly. "My father knows the Cannon's trainer, he is a great fan of the Quibbler."

"Well that explains a lot," Harry whispered under his breath, but seemed as eager as Ron to get the tickets.

According to Luna's whishes they divided into three pairs, Lupin pairing up with Hagrid, Harry with Ginny and Ron with Hermione. Then Luna gave each group a piece of parchment and told them that she'd probably see them in about one or two hours. After two hours they should return regardless of how far they'd come.

Opening the parchment, Hermione found the sentence "You'll find the prize in the Hogwarts … guarded by a …" at its top. It would obviously have to be completed to tell them where to find the prize. Beneath it were several riddles which had to be solved to find out the two missing words.

"Let's see," Ron said eagerly, drawing Hermione away from the others so they wouldn't be overheard. "How many dancing druids are there on Hogwarts' oldest painting? Take the number, multiply it by four and you have the number of steps you need to take from the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room to the right to find the next clue." "Druids? Oldest painting?" he furrowed his brow and Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "You know, one day I'll really force you to read Hogwarts, a History. It's the large painting on the fifth floor, between the suit of black armor and the secret passageway behind the tapestry. But we'll have to be careful when we count them, the druids quarrel all the time and often some of them have walked out of the painting."

"Well, what are we waiting for," Ron said, "let's go!" The other two groups were rolling up their parchments as well and made to leave. It seemed that they had been given different clues, since Ginny and Harry headed out into the grounds, while Hagrid and Lupin made for the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione hurried towards the nearest staircase to get to the fifth floor.

When they arrived at the painting, they found nine druids dancing more or less enthusiastically, and learned on asking that three were missing. They followed similar clues for the next hour, rushing through the dimly lit corridors without meeting anyone since the students were already in their quarters. It felt like a rather frivolous pastime in times like these, but Hermione found it great fun. After months of worrying about the future the simple task of solving riddles and hurrying down the hallways to the next station was like a holiday, a step back into her childhood. Finally they had found the two missing words, and the sentence now read: The prize can be found in the Hogwarts garden guarded by a snake."

"Brilliant," Ron said exasperatedly, "are we now supposed to walk through the grounds and look for a snake which guards our prize? That'll take ages!"

"I don't think so," Hermione said, furrowing her brow. "It could also mean that we have to look for a garden in Hogwarts itself which is somehow guarded by a snake. Does this ring a bell?"

They thought in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly Ron's face lit up. "I think I've got it. There is a small and rather hidden courtyard at the end of a corridor in the east wing. The door to it has the picture of a snake above it. Fred and George showed it to me one day."

Hermione gave him an appreciative smile. "I've never been there, but I suppose that's it. Perhaps it was the private garden of a Head of Slytherin, or even Salazar himself. Lead the way."

She didn't have to tell him twice, and after rushing through dimly lit corridors for a few minutes they arrived in front of a heavy wooden door which was below a stone image of a hissing snake. When they opened the door they found a small garden enclosed on all sides by high, windowless walls. A few trees and bushes stood on the soft lawn, and water plashed in a small fountain.

"This is lovely," Hermione remarked in surprise. "Strange that I never found it before."

"Yeah yeah," Ron said, eagerly scanning the garden. "Now come on, we've got to get the prize.

It wasn't hard to find since Luna or Neville had put up lights around the tallest tree to guide their way. Squinting up into the treetop, Hermione discerned something which looked like a large nest.

"I'll climb up," she told Ron. "Those branches there look a bit thin and I'm definitely lighter than you." She looked a bit worried. "I really wonder how Lupin is supposed to get up there."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "It's an advantage for us, isn't it?" He looked up the tree and furrowed his brow. "I suppose I should be a gentleman and do the climbing, but I think you're right. I wished we could use magic, then no one would have to climb at all."

"You know we can't," Hermione said while taking off the light jacket she had worn. "Don't worry, I was a great tree climber as a child. I just hope that the others haven't been here yet." She went towards the thick trunk. "Could you give me a leg-up?"

"Sure." Ron folded his hands so that Hermione could step on them and pushed her upwards. The tree had several conveniently placed branches and so it wasn't a hard climb. Only her hair, which Hermione had tied back into a ponytail, repeatedly caught at some twigs. After a few minutes Hermione reached the nest and was happy to find that Luna's prize was still there. "Wow," she said, looking down at a milky stone about as large as her fist which shimmered in different, pale colours.

"Is it still there? What is it?" Ron shouted eagerly.

"It's a mahō no ishi."

"A what?!"

Hermione sighed. "Really Ron, don't you remember anything from our schooldays? It's a very rare stone which is only found on Hokkaido, the north island of Japan." She looked ponderingly at the stone for a few seconds, then started to unbutton her blouse.

"Ahm, Hermione?" Ron asked confused, "why are you stripping?"

"When a mahō no ishi is touched by a human it shatters. I have to wrap it into something." The cold night air was chilly on her exposed skin as she carefully draped her blouse around the stone. Only Luna could come up with something like that, Hermione thought amusedly as she was carefully climbing down the tree, holding her impromptu bag in her left hand while holding on to the tree with her right hand. Finally she handed the package to Ron and jumped down to the ground.

"We've made it," she said, grinning at Ron and carefully wrapping the stone out of her blouse and into her jacket. "The tickets are ours – or better yours and Alexandra's, you know my great love for Quidditch."

Ron's eyes lit up. "That's awfully nice of you. But you can keep the stone." He suddenly looked at Hermione with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.

"Come on, Ron", she grinned while shaking out her hair and picking up her blouse again, "you've seen me in my bra before."

"Well, yes," he actually blushed a bit, "but, you know, that was different, we were together then."

Hermione just chuckled and looked down to button up her blouse. Suddenly the door to the little garden opened and a tall black figure entered, dimly lit by the light from the corridor. Hermione's head jerked up and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized Snape.

He stopped when he saw the lights around the tree and the two figures in front of it. His eyes grew wide as he took in the scene, Hermione frozen with her crumpled blouse still half open, little twigs and leaves in her disheveled hair.

Snape's eyes darted from her face to her blouse to Ron and back again. His face was very still. "I am sorry," he finally said with a touch of his usual sneer. "I didn't want to…disturb you." And he turned around and stormed out of the garden, his dark robes billowing, the door smashing shut after him.

"Well…," Ron said after a few seconds of shocked silence. "That was…kind of embarrassing." He shot Hermione a worried glance.

"You have no idea how." Hermione's thoughts were racing. Damn, she thought, mechanically finishing to button her blouse and trying not to let Ron see how affected she was. What must he think now? Well I pretty well know what he must think! And if I was right about him being somewhat jealous of Ron the last time he was so mean to me, I'm probably in for a really hard time… And all this after he trusted me enough to tell me about Agnes and his despair at what he has to do… Oh damn!

She winced and got another worried glance from Ron. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she said, giving him a false smile. "I'll try to explain it to him, and if he doesn't believe me it's none of his business anyway."

Ron looked at her doubtfully. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but knowing Snape he'll only sneer at you. What a streak of bad luck." He hesitated. "If you like I could explain it to him."

Hermione shook her head forcefully. "Oh no, that would only make it worse." She shuddered at the thought. "You know," she said wryly, "actually it's kind of funny. Or at least it would be if this were some comedy."

Ron grinned tentatively. "Yeah. The shocked look on his face was priceless."

Hermione's mouth twitched. "Well, it can't be helped now – let's go and claim our prize."

Ron's face lit up at the thought. "Yeah, and see the faces of the others when we get it."

They left the garden and hurried to Luna's rooms, Hermione cursing her bad luck and wondering how Snape would react. She had no idea what to say next time she met him, and she was pretty certain that whatever she'd do that meeting wouldn't be pleasant.

They were the first to come back to Luna and Neville, and it was another half hour until all the others were back again and Ron was able to savour his triumph. When they told them about Snape and the 'bra affair', as Ron called it, their reaction was a mixture of dread and amusement.

"You know, perhaps old Snape was so shocked because he's never seen a half-clad woman before," Ron snorted.

Harry, Ginny and Neville giggled but Lupin shook his head in mock-reproof. "I don't know, there are some women who find him strangely attractive."

Ron looked shocked. "That greasy git?" He shuddered. "I'll never understand women."

Hermione looked away quickly. She was still worried about the whole thing, and her friends making fun of Snape hurt surprisingly much. "Well, what about something to eat?" She said with forced cheerfulness, catching a pensive glance from Lupin. The others however were distracted easily enough, and Luna called for some house-elves to bring the food. They spent the next hours in cheerful conversation, Hermione trying very hard not to let the others notice how downcast she was.

…

Hermione dreaded meeting Snape the next morning, but luckily it seemed as if he tried to avoid her as long as possible, and she neither saw him at breakfast nor at lunch. But when she went to the teachers' common room in the afternoon to get some papers for Flitwick, she was confronted with his dark figure gathering up some potions essays, probably to take them to his office.

Hermione stopped in the doorway. "Hello Severus," she said, glad that her voice didn't betray her nervousness. He gave her a rather burning look. "Hermione." There was a definite sneer in his voice, and she sighed internally. They were alone in the room and although she'd preferred to just walk out, this was as good a time as ever to talk to him.

"Listen, Severus," she said haltingly after shutting the door behind her, "there's something I want to explain to you." She hesitated, her heart pounding nervously. "About what you saw yesterday."

He didn't look at her but had his eyes fixed on the papers on the table. "An explanation won't be necessary," he said in a flat voice. "The signs weren't so hard to interpret. And neither do you have to keep me informed about your…love life," his voice lingered uncomfortably on the last words, "nor am I at all interested in it."

Hermione felt irritated. "Then why are you acting like this?" she asked before she could stop herself.

His eyes shoot up, burning into hers. "Don't fool yourself that your behaviour in any way influences my own," he snarled fiercely. "I don't care what you…do…with Weasley," he nearly spat the name, "and I'm certainly not…"

Snape never finished the sentence. The door had opened and McGonagall stood in the door frame, looking with surprise at Hermione and the glowering Snape. "Hermione, Severus," she said, eyeing them curiously.

"I have to go," Snape said, fiercely gathered up his essays and stormed out of the room.

McGonagall looked after him with surprise and a furrowed brow before turning towards Hermione. "What was that?" she asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, the anger subsiding and leaving only sadness. "It's a long story. I'll tell you one day."

McGonagall looked at her intently. "What about today? I'll have to teach now, but could you come to my rooms in two hours?"

"Sure," Hermione said, feeling rather unenthusiastic. She was not certain if she could face a heart-to-heart talk with McGonagall after this disastrous encounter with Snape.

…

When Hermione got to McGonagall's quarters two hours later, the elder woman was already waiting for her. Hermione sat down in a comfortable tartan chair and looked around the room which could only be described as tartanesque.

McGonagall put down a glass in front of her, and Hermione was surprised to find that it was filled with Whisky.

"I thought you could need that now," McGonagall said with a smile.

"I suppose it won't do any harm," Hermione replied and took a little sip. The Whisky was excellent, and its mellow warmth immediately filled her throat and stomach.

Sitting down opposite of her, McGonagall drank some Whisky herself, all the time looking at Hermione intently. Her beady eyes were full of sympathy but Hermione started feeling uncomfortable nevertheless.

"What's the matter with you and Severus?" McGonagall finally said.

Hermione tried to hide her shock. Whatever she had expected, she hadn't thought that the elder woman would be so blunt.

"I, I don't know," she said, fervently hoping that she wouldn't blush, "what do you mean?"

McGonagall gave her an understanding smile. "I certainly don't want to pry into your personal life, but there is something going on between you, isn't it? Or at least with him. I haven't seen him as moody and erratic as this for years."

She looked at Hermione intently and took another sip of Whisky before continuing. "You certainly remember the day before you were kidnapped, when he suddenly got very angry indeed and spoke to nobody. When you left for London, probably because he'd vented his anger on you, he was even more furious. Just ask my poor Gryffindors, they told me they'd never seen him like that. Then we learned that you'd obviously been kidnapped and he suddenly became very still and very white and rushed off to rescue you or whatever he intended to do." She paused, eyeing Hermione steadfastly, who felt her cheeks grow rather hot and didn't know where to look. "And when you got back he haunted the hospital wing, but as soon as you were well again he neither looked at nor talked to you. Then his mood seemed to get better again for the last weeks, but after you two returned from Germany he once more got very moody. And since yesterday he's as irate and snarling as he ever was. Today he deducted ten housepoints each from three Gryffindors because he found they smiled too much." The elder woman hesitated, looking at Hermione with eyes full of concern before she went on. "Hermione, I've known Severus since he was a child, I've seen the way he acts around you and the way he looks at you when he thinks no one notices. I think he is in love with you."

Hermione felt as if the world was turning upside down. "I… I don't know what to say," she croaked, staring at McGonagall, her mind reeling.

"Take a sip of Whisky," the elder woman said matter-of-factly, "it'll help."

Hermione nearly downed the whole glass, grateful for the distraction and the warmth of the alcohol.

"Listen, Hermione," McGonagal finally said softly, "I don't want to embarrass you. I'm just a bit worried about you, and especially about Severus. He is a complicated man, but a good one even if you have to know him very well to realize that. And he is a man of strong passions, although he tries to control them most of the time. Whatever has happened has obvious affected him deeply."

Hermione drew a deep breath. "I don't really know what has happened," she said haltingly. "I… I don't know about his feelings, and neither do I really understand my own." She felt herself blushing violently again, but McGonagall's calm gaze gave her strength. "I… I really like him, but sometimes he's so hard to understand and I just don't know what his behaviour means or how to act around him." Hermione looked down on her hands which were holding the glass. "I respect him. I admire him for his intelligence and his work for the Order. And for the last few weeks I've worried…that I'm falling in love with him." She nearly whispered the last words. When she looked up again McGonagall's eyes were so full of sympathy that she felt tears building up inside her. Hermione gave the elder woman a shaky smile. "I've tried to fight it, I really have. But I just can't help it. I never made a pass at him, nor did he give me any real indication that he had feelings for me. But I thought we were something like friends. At least we worked well together. Everything was fine, I thought, until shortly before my kidnapping, when Ron showed up so surprisingly."

McGonagall nodded. "When Ron came to the dinner table that night Filius asked me if you and he were together again. I told him I didn't know, but Severus was sitting next to me and his mood seemed to grow darker every minute he saw you talking to Ron. And when Ron showed up at breakfast the next morning I fear Severus drew the wrong conclusions.

Hermione was looking at her wide-eyed. Now it really made sense. Snape had obviously suspected that she and Ron had spent the night together. And the memory he'd seen during their Occlumency training of her and Ron kissing hadn't helped, either.

"I worked with Severus in the laboratory after Ron left," Hermione said slowly. "And he was simply ghastly. We had a terribly row, and finally I left. I didn't know why he suddenly was so angry with me, but now it seems it was because of Ron."

McGonagall nodded, pouring Hermione more Whisky. "When Severus didn't show up for meals and you left for London I thought something like that had happened."

Hermione drew in her breath, things suddenly falling into place. "And yesterday he saw me with Ron again… Luna had arranged a paper chase for her birthday, and one of the tasks Ron and I had to accomplish was to get a mahō no ishi out of a tree. When I climbed up I had to wrap it into something, and the only thing I had was my blouse, so I took it off. And when I put it on again as soon as I was back on the ground, Severus suddenly appeared. And he saw me and Ron and the half-open blouse and obviously drew the wrong conclusions.

McGonagall couldn't quite hide a smile. "And who can blame him, really. What a streak of bad luck." She mused for a few moments. "So you tried to explain it to him when I happened upon you in the common room?"

Hermione nodded and gave her a wry smile. "I tried, but you saw what success I had." She took another sip of Whisky. "So he's behaving like this because he thinks Ron is my boyfriend?"

But the elder woman shook her head slowly. "I don't think it is only Ron."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "I can't think of any other reason, and trust me, I've thought about it thoroughly."

"I'm afraid it is more complicated than only jealousy – even if I'd bet that to experience that feeling is frightening enough for Severus. I suspect that until Ron's surprise visit some weeks ago Severus hadn't really admitted to himself that he had any deeper feelings for you. It hadn't been necessary because you had a comfortable professional relationship anyway. I suppose in a way he felt save and happy the way it was. But then suddenly someone showed up who not only seemed to threaten this relationship, but who also made him painfully aware that there were other, more intimate possibilities. I think Severus was surprised by the strength of the feelings he suddenly had to face, and that he got afraid. You know that he's a man who needs to be in control all the time, and he suddenly realized that he'd let you get too close. So I suppose his aggression against you was and is not only an expression of jealousy, but also his way of keeping you at a save distance. Self-preservation in his eyes. And he's probably also afraid that if you ever should get closer your connection to him might place you in danger." The elder woman took a long sip of Whisky, looking pensively at Hermione. "But then you were kidnapped, and I think that threw him into even more emotional turmoil." She sighed. "And when he had successfully suppressed that, and your relationship had finally gone back to where it had been before, Ron showed up again, and all started anew. I'm so sorry for you. I know it's not an easy situation."

Hermione grimmaced. "No, it isn't. And to be honest I don't have any idea what to do now."

"Neither do I, I'm sorry," McGonagall said. "I suppose I'd advice you to wait and see how Severus comes to terms with whatever he's feeling. I don't have to tell you that now certainly isn't the best time for starting a relationship, even if you and he wanted to, but I'd be glad if he found some kind of peace. He's suffered enough and he'll need all the strength and support he can get before the end comes." She was looking rather serious now.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I'll try to be a good friend to him – at least as long as he's not yelling at me." She grimaced and emptied her glass. "Thanks for talking to me. It helped me see things a bit clearer." Suddenly a thought hit her. "Do the other teachers know?"

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Albus knows, of course. He's rather worried about Severus, to be honest. And I'm not sure about Lupin. But the rest are all so blind when it comes to romantic entanglements that you could kiss Severus in the Great Hall and they still wouldn't get it. No, you're safe."

Hermione felt rather relieved. Discussing her love life with McGonagall was strange enough. Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. "Listen, if a chance presents itself, could you perhaps casually drop the information that Ron has a new girlfriend?"

McGonagall gave her a mischievous smile. "Has he indeed? Don't worry, I'll make sure that it's all over the teachers' body by tomorrow. And I might also relate the rather amusing story of how you got the mahō no ishi out of the tree."

…

That night Hermione arrived at the dinner table a bit later then the other teachers. She soon became aware that they shot her odd glances. Confused she checked her robes for spots or anything else which could explain the strange looks, but then she caught McGonagall's gaze and saw the elder woman grinning and winking at her. Realization dawned on Hermione.

Sitting down at the table, she shot a glance in Snape's direction. In contrast to the other teachers he looked practically mirthful and ate with more enthusiasm than she'd seen him do for some time.

"How are you?" Hermione was suddenly addressed by Luna's slightly dreamy voice. "Everyone is a bit worried about you because Ron has a new girlfriend."

In the ensuing silence you could have heard a pin drop. Most of the teachers stared at Luna in surprised shock.

Hermione tried very hard to suppress her laughter. Trust Luna for speaking out loud what everyone is thinking, she thought amused. "Thanks for your concern," she replied, keeping her eyes focused at Luna but aware that all the table was listening intently. "But you don't have to worry, I'm quite happy for Ron. You remember when he showed up unexpectedly a few weeks ago and stayed overnight in Neville's room? He told me then. As you know we've only been good friends for some years now, and I'm sure it'll stay that way."

Lupin, who had been looking at her anxiously, smiled with relief. "I'm glad you're taking it like that," he said. "To be honest, Ron is a great guy, but I've always been a bit surprised that you two got together."

Hermione noticed several teachers nodding. A swift glance showed her that Snape was looking at his plate rather intently, but had stopped eating, his fork raised half up to his mouth.

"I'm not saying that I thought you weren't a great couple," Lupin went on hurriedly, "but you are just so different."

Hermione gave him a crooked smile. "Opposites attract, I suppose."

"What Remus means is that we are happy that you no longer squander your considerable intelligence on someone who could never appreciate it," Snape remarked sarcastically.

Lupin furrowed his brow. "That's not what I meant, Severus. Ron may not be the most intellectual of persons, but he has many merits, and he certainly appreciates Hermione's intelligence."

Snape snorted. "Yes, but only because it saved his and Potter's life more than once." He turned towards Hermione. "I'm certain there are men more suitable for you than Mr Weasley."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Tell me if you find one." Their eyes locked for a moment until Hermione looked away. "Well I'm glad you're so much concerned about my love life. Now, are there any other news?" she said, catching a look of Lupin who was regarding Snape rather thoughtfully.

…

All right, I know this was a bit contrived, but I just had to have this scene in the garden ;-). I wanted to have something a bit lighter after the last chapter, and I also wanted to finally clear up the whole jealousy-business.

"Mahō no ishi" is meant to mean something like "magical stone" or "stone of magic" in Japanese, but I'm pretty sure it's not correct, so if anyone of you has an idea how to express this concept correctly just tell me.

Regarding the comment made by "Requiem for a Sunburst": to be honest I have no idea if you can apparate out of the country or not, but I reckoned that it should be possible as long as the overall distance isn't too long. I don't remember if J.K.R. says anything about it, but if she does please tell me.

On a similar subject (this will be important later ;-)): Is it possible to floo out of Hogwarts? I can't really remember if it's ever mentioned (shame on me – I really should stop reading fanfiction and start reading the books again ;-)). I know that you can use the Floo network at Hogwarts as a means for communication, but can you use it for transport as well (and if yes is it possible to use it from every fireplace?)? I mean if you could what would stop the Death Eaters from getting into Hogwarts?