HELLO EVERYONE! First off, I would like to apologize for the length of this chapter. I have written more but as of right now I still don't have internet in my apartment so I am using the computer lab in school and the bits of the story that I was able to transfer to a memory stick. Though had it not been for a last minute idea, this would have taken another couple of days to show up. So at least it's something, right? And there are worse things than getting a short chapter, such as living without the internet for three weeks. Yeah. It sucks. Anyway, I do have more written on the story and I should be connected by the end of the week so expect more around then. But until then, please READ and REVIEW. I very much love hearing from you guys, the bad and the good. So let me know what you think, ask me questions, and just let me know if you like the way I'm headed :) I just really wanna hear from you all. But anyway, enough of my rambling, enjoy the chapter!

December 31st,1976

Hermione had been surprised when Severus had told her that they would, in fact, be doing their lessons on new years. She had figured that with her wound still aching, he would have canceled. But as she sat in the back of the room, watching Severus preform the spell that had wounded her over and over without incident, she found that she was grateful that he had kept the date.

She hadn't been out of her room much since she got hurt. There wasn't much to do in the castle anyway and she had all the books that she needed in her room. Besides, her wound was still causing her some pain and she wasn't eager to do anything that might irritate it.

Severus had made a number of trips up to her room to bring her not only medicine that would help with the pain, but food as well. In fact, the day before, he had brought food for the both of them and they had spent a somewhat pleasant afternoon together. She had even managed to make him laugh once, which was something she never thought she would be able to do.

Their quasi-friendship was still quite new so Hermione was wary to test it with questions, though she was dying to interrogate Severus within an inch of his life. She had been able to glean a few details from him, like how he had been able to heal her when he said that the medi-witches couldn't. Apparently his mother was very gifted with healing spells and potions and she had taught Severus all she knew. When she asked about his father he hadn't responded and he'd remained quiet for the rest of the night.

She had to admit, the more time she spent with him, the more intrigued she began with the mystery that was Severus Snape. She knew there had to be something that he wasn't admitting to that had made him so coarse and the nosy part of her didn't want to give up until she figured out what it was.

Though over the past couple weeks, he had very nearly become a different person toward her, especially after the incident. His remarks didn't hold as much venom as they once did and they came less often. Instead they actually talked. They discussed books, history, potions, everything. He was much smarter than she had ever given him credit for.

If she wasn't careful, then soon she might find herself calling Snape a friend. And what would Harry and Ron think about that?

"Well now you're just showing off," Hermione called out as Severus preformed the curse for the 10th time.

"Perhaps," Snape remarked with a bit of a smile, "but you know you enjoy watching."

"I enjoy doing," Hermoine bit back.

"I am not going to allow you to try this again," Snape answered quickly, his face growing serious. "I don't want to have to explain to Dumbledore how you managed to kill yourself under my watch."

"You're not my guardian you know," Hermione replied sharply.

"When we are doing this, I am."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she watched Snape preform the curse yet again. "Well since you're not going to let me preform this curse, and since I already have the theory memorized, then is there any reason to stay? It's an hour till midnight."

Though she did somewhat enjoy the time she was spending with Severus, she had planned on flooing Remus at midnight and she didn't want to be late.

Severus looked as though he was thinking it over a moment before nodding his head. "I guess there isn't a reason to stay," he said as he put his wand back inside of his coat.

"Wonderful," Hermione exclaimed as she jumped up off of her chair, causing her scar to twinge.

At Severus' raised eyebrow she added, "I just wanted to be able to chat with Remus, that's all."

They gathered their things and began the walk to Gryffindor tower together. For the most part, the pathways to the Slytherin dorms and the Gryffindor ones were the same and they had gotten used to walking together until the paths' parted.

The talk was light, as Hermione's head played over how she expected her conversation with Remus to go. She imagined a million different scenarios, a million different ways it could go wrong as she walked with Snape, until the sight of an owl flying towards them caught her attention. As it flew past, it dropped a letter in her hands. It was addressed to her, in Remus' handwriting and though she wanted to rip it open that instant and figure out what it said, she had no desire for Snape to know its contents.

"What's that?" He asked as he tried to look at the front of the letter.

"Nothing," She said quickly, hiding the front from Severus, "I have to go."

And before Snape could answer, she ran off down the hallway towards her dorms.

…..

Dear Hermione,

I've been thinking about you and I and our relationship over this break. You know that I care for you very much. You know that I very much enjoy spending time with you. But I've been thinking that perhaps we made a mistake. Our relationship worked much better when we were just friends and study partners, before everything was complicated with our feelings for each other. With everything that happened a few weeks ago, I found that I simply do not have it in me to fight for your affection the way a boyfriend should want to. So I've decided to let you go. While I care for you, I think it's better if we ended our relationship.

I'm sorry if my decision hurts you, the last thing I ever wanted to do was to cause you pain.

Remus.

Hermione stared at the letter as she sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. So that was it. Her relationship with Remus was over. She couldn't lie, a small part of her was grateful that he had ended it. She knew that eventually the end would come for them and she never wanted to be the one that had to say goodbye. But it was a very small part. The tears fell from her face as she stared at the words that he had written. He had said nothing nasty, nothing cruel, and yet it was one of the most cruel things she had ever read.

He had given no reason! No reason at all for ending their relationship. And to do so in a letter? How cowardly was that? She wished she could hop on a broom right that instant and fly to him and demand that he give her a proper explanation and a proper break up. While the words were tender, the tone was cold. It felt more like he was ending a business partnership than a romantic relationship.

She was angry, so angry, for she knew that this had to have something to do with Severus. It had to have something to do with Remus' ridiculous jealousy of his. What else could have prompted this?

And as the tears began to lessen, her rage began to grow. She longed to scream and throw things and cause pain for someone, anyone. The clock read a half an hour to midnight, and Hermione knew exactly how she wanted to bring in the new year.

…...