AN: Well, here's the next chapter. I'm posting it early because chances are with my appointment tomorrow I won't be able to upload then. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, favoriting, putting me on alert, and reading in general. It really makes my day. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

BTW for anyone who cares, this chapter and the last were originally one chapter. Since I've divided them, the chapter count is now up to 50 chapters plus an epilogue, and Ron will get what's coming to him sometime early next week.

I still don't own anything.

Snape replayed his dream over and over in his head as he sat at his desk staring at the parchment. Hermione had entered his bedroom wearing the nightgown that he'd transfigured for her. She lay down beside him and before he could say anything she'd begun to kiss him. He responded with a low moan, pulling her closer to him and opening his mouth to admit her tongue. When she began to fumble with the buttons of his shirt, he pulled back to allow her access.

When the offending garment was removed, she gazed into his eyes. Her own eyes were full of love and desire, yet she was making no move towards him. He looked at her, completely confused. He moved to kiss her, but she backed away. "You have to do something," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Come on Severus! You want this as much as I do, but you'll never let it happen!" she answered in a husky voice.

"Hermione, you want Ron," he whispered.

She shook her head. "I only think that because you won't tell me who you really are. Please Severus! Please let us be together! Stop getting in our way! Fight for me!"

"Hermione," he breathed.

The dream had ended there. He shook his head trying to plot a course of action. Each idea wilted upon further inspection. All he could think of was the failed seduction attempt, and the pain that flared until he could barely see straight.

"Severus?"

He looked up. "Minerva," he began. "I didn't hear you come in."

She looked at him and nodded. "You look lost in thought."

"I'm just thinking about a potion," he lied.

Minerva shook her head. "No, when you're thinking about a potion you have a fire in your eyes. Your mind's going a mile a minute and you can't think about anything else. Now, you look like you can't wait to go back to bed."

"I could use a nap," Severus mused out loud.

"I think that you could use Hermione," she answered.

Severus sighed and looked up. His eyes were tired and sad. Minerva smiled in sympathy. "She woke me up to leave," Snape replied. "That's why I'm tired."

"Do you want to be with her?"

He gave her a blank look.

"You know, for two brilliant intellects, you are by far the most stubborn people that I've ever met," the Headmistress continued.

"What do you mean?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow.

"Merlin Severus, it's so obvious to everyone else that you two are in love with each other, but damned if either of you will ever admit it to anyone else, much less yourselves!" she replied.

Snape grunted. "Please! How could I love a Gryffindor like her? Besides, Hermione loves Ron!"

"Yes, she loves Ron, that's why when you weren't at breakfast a few days ago she took off to find you as quickly as she could. That's why she spends every waking moment here in these dungeons and nowhere else. That's definitely why she looks at you like you're the only wizard in the world who will ever matter. As for how you could love Hermione, I won't even dignify that question with a response!"

"She loves me so much that she slept with Weasley!" Snape snapped.

"We both know that Weasley didn't seduce her! He may have done the deed, but she wanted to sleep with the person who said those words to her," Minerva answered.

"I had to appear as Weasley before I could reveal the true source of those words. She had been led to believe a lie."

"Merlin Severus!" Minerva exclaimed in frustration. "You've never tried to tell her how you felt as yourself! You sit around and hope that she figures it out!"

"Well then what do you suggest that I do?" Snape retorted.

She smirked. "You're the Head of Slytherin. Shouldn't I be asking you what to do in a situation such as this?"

Before he could answer, Minerva left. He grunted and glared at the wall until the germ of an idea took shape. He opened the drawer containing his letters, pulled one out and smirked.

Though he didn't read the papers, he knew from listening to the students that professional Quidditch recruiting began around this time of the year. Knowing Ron, his full attention would be on that, not on sending Hermione letters. Even if he did bother to send one of Snape's letters, there's no way that it would cross his mind to send more than one a day. Besides, no one ever claimed that he had to sign Ron's name on any of them. Snape's smirk grew.

"So Ron," Snape muttered to himself. "You want to use my letters? Fine, we can use my letters."