Author's Note: Just a reminder that italicized portions are their notebooks. I'm going to post the June chapter earlier than usual in just a couple of days - my way of saying, "Thank you so much!" for the reviews! Y'all are amazing and gracious and fun.

May 1999

May went by in a rush of students revising and Severus trying to push his students to finish strong. May was always marked with students that were, in a word, done. They were done doing homework, done revising, done with everything. But this year seemed especially hard for Severus' Potions students. He didn't recall having this many students asking for help two years ago when he taught Potions last. His only theory was that their last two years of Potions had been so different, or had not been available to his muggleborn students, that it was markedly harder for them. Hermione came down to his office one night after dinner, obviously wanting to visit, but found him instead in his classroom helping four NEWT students revise. He looked up to see her turn around and leave.

.

I saw you leave earlier tonight. I'm sorry you couldn't work in my quarters. -S

-It's okay. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if your students would think it's awkward. I'm working in my quarters. -H

I think I'm going to have students in my office until the test. Some of them are struggling. -S

-I've been getting up early. I was thinking of going to breakfast early. -H

Early breakfast sounds like just the thing. -S

-Goodnight, Severus. -H

Goodnight, Hermione. -S

.

The next morning, he entered the Great Hall about a half-hour earlier than usual to find Hermione sitting at the table reading. The only other Professors were Sinestra and Vector.

He sat down next to Hermione and she put her book down. She smiled at him. "How are you?" she asked, her tone laced with concern.

He groaned into his coffee. "My NEWTs students are going to be the death of me."

"Have you asked them what they like about potions?" she asked, smiling.

He smiled at her and knew they were both remembering her own meltdown six months earlier. "That was only for one special over-prepared war heroine."

"I know you'll help them, Severus."

Severus sighed. "How are you? How is your project?"

"It's fascinating. I think I know the basics of what Voldemort did versus what Dumbledore did. Very similar. The differences are very subtle. It's so amazing." She went into the details with him as the staff table began to fill with more professors.

"You keep talking like that and I'll have to stop calling it 'foolish wand-waving,'" he joked.

"Never!" she gasped in mock surprise.

Mornings with Hermione became Severus' lifeline over the next few weeks.

Severus was getting into bed two days before the Potions NEWT and OWL examinations when his notebook glowed. For a split second he was tempted to ignore it. It had been an impossibly long day with NEWT students revising in his classroom up until curfew an hour ago.

.

Are you awake? -H

-Obviously. -S

Do you have a book on Runes anchoring Dark Magic? -H

.

Severus mentally went through his book collection.

.

-Yes. -S

Can I come get it tonight? -H

-Yes. -S

.

Severus got out of bed and put on his robe and slippers. He began to search through his books looking for the two that came to mind that might hold the information she needed.

When the opening to his office dissolved, there was no one there and his wand was out as he heard Hermione call, "It's me!"

As he lowered his wand she came into view starting with her hair tied in a messy bun that he could tell had fallen and been put back up multiple times. He watched as the rest of her came into view as her disillusionment spell dissipated. Her eyes were slightly wide taking in his form. He was wearing black silk pajama bottoms and a warm grey robe, but it was obvious that he wasn't wearing a shirt. What did she expect after midnight?

Then it was his turn to get a shock when she, too, was in silky pajamas, covered by a light pink silky robe that clearly showed that she didn't normally reside in the much cooler dungeons. What did he expect after midnight?

"Cold, Hermione?" he teased.

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, blushing and trying not to smile.

"Accio Blanket," he said lazily. He draped the blanket over her shoulders to wrap around her.

"Thanks."

"It was the only way I was going to be able to talk to you," he muttered, walking to the bookshelves.

He heard her titter as she followed him. "Sorry."

He pulled a book and handed it to her. Then he looked again at the books and found the second one. "I think I have one more book that could be helpful. Green spine, gold lettering. Something about anchoring."

He started on the left side of the bookcases and she started on the right. He looked over at her as she read the spines: messy hair, covered in a blanket, tatty old fuzzy slippers. He could not desire her more at that moment if she had been dressed in a designer gown.

Hermione glanced over at Severus, who hadn't moved. He continued to look at her and she smiled softly at him. He leaned on his Occlumency to clear his mind. He turned back to the books. He spotted the book an arm's length away to his right and plucked it from the shelf.

When she heard the sound, Hermione stood from her kneeling position where she had been looking on the bottom shelf.

She stood before him and bit her lip. "Thank you. I appreciate you letting me come over so late."

"You're welcome."

She started to remove the blanket to return it to him when his hand stilled hers. "Return it some other time." He took out his wand and tapped her head gently as he reapplied a disillusionment charm. He turned from where she was standing and walked to the entrance to his office and opened it. He heard her slippers as she walked toward him. He expected her to slip through the opening, but instead he felt a hand on his arm. He then felt pressure as she used his arm to steady herself on tiptoes as she kissed his lower jaw, which was apparently all she could reach in her attempt to kiss him on the cheek.

"You're too tall," she laughed. "Goodnight, Severus."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

She took her hand off of his arm and a few moments later the doorway closed.

The next morning, he saw Hermione at breakfast. He made a show of looking at her chest just to tease her as she walked to her seat. It drew her ire, just as he expected. Her lips pursed and her eyes went comically wide. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle when she flicked the back of his neck painfully as she sat down. They were still breakfasting early, so there were less than a dozen bleary-eyed students to witness their theatrics.

"Arse."

Severus hummed noncommittally.

"What are you doing tonight?"

He turned to look at her. "Why? Do you need something?"

"Can you look over my notes? I know you're working like crazy. I just need someone to make sure I'm on the right track and not splitting my soul in seven at the same time."

"Do you have them with you?"

She reached into her bag and drew out her project journal. She placed it into his outstretched hand.

"I'm letting my first years revise. I'll see how far I can get."

"Are you sure? OWLs and NEWTs are tomorrow."

"I'm sure."

"Thank you. Are you doing okay? Do NEWT students usually need you that much?

"I've only had one NEWT student try to snatch revision notes from my hand this year," he deadpanned.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You are so ornery this morning!"

"Lack of sleep. To answer your question: no, I thought my NEWT students were doing well. They had been progressing through the seventh year material fine. But as we started revising sixth year material more thoroughly, four of them fell apart. They need this NEWT. Three of them want to apprentice at St. Mungo's. Everyone knows why they didn't get a normal education last year, but I don't think the examiners are grading on a curve this year just because of a little thing like a war."

"Damn war," she replied. "Did you see the prophet on May 2nd? Acting like everything's all better now? Eff them."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Which of us is the ornery one?"

She smiled. "Lack of sleep."

He read her notes while his first years revised. As always, her notes challenged him and inspired him. He made notes in her margins and did have to warn her about how powerful and permanent one of the rune anchors that she had found and incorporated last night could be. He wondered if she even slept last night.

At lunch, he returned her journal. She thanked him and looked through it to find his comments.

Filius saw her looking through her journal and leaned forward to talk to Severus. "Thank you for your expertise, Severus. I feel much better with you overseeing that part."

Severus nodded and made a mental note to repay Filius for his twinkling and his acting job next full moon.

That afternoon after classes he mentally told himself to gird his loins for Round Two. His four floundering NEWT students and a few OWL students arrived at the classroom shortly after his last class let out. He started his OWL students on a practice potion and started answering revision questions from his NEWT students as he kept one eye on his OWL students from one table over.

Three hours later, Hermione walked into the classroom and opened the door to his office and propped the door open. He then heard her call for Quill. The snap of Quill's apparition made everyone look at Severus. Half a minute later, the sound was repeated. The smell of food wafted in from Severus' office.

"I'm starving," one of the boys said.

A chorus of agreements and students craning their necks to see what was in the office prompted Severus to say, "Put a stasis on your potions," to which the students readily complied and looked at Severus for direction.

"Wait here." He walked into his office to see a mountain of sandwiches and jugs of pumpkin juice along with glasses and plates.

Hermione smiled at him. "Dinner just ended in the Great Hall, Severus. Please eat." She said this so quietly that the students couldn't hear.

He smiled softly at her. He was humbled and grateful for her support.

Severus called to his students, "Come eat."

This was met with the sound of an invading hoard even though it was only seven students. The students ignored Hermione completely as they stood around eating sandwiches, drinking juice and talking to each other.

Severus ate a sandwich and stood with Hermione at his personal brewing station.

"I read your notes," Hermione said. "I'm going to change some things. I can't believe I misunderstood the use of that Rune. Merlin, that would have been interesting- in a 'sorry I ruined your life' kind of way."

"Indeed."

"What are they working on?"

"The fifth years are trying to get last minute potion work in. Swots. The seventh years are trying to comprehend Scarpin's theories."

"Which do you want me to take?"

Severus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Repeat that."

"I'm not leaving. You might as well put me to work. Neville passed five years of potions, lest you have forgotten."

Severus smirked. "Take the swot fifth years. Watch them and guide them, but the most important part is to shield them if it goes wrong. I want your wand out as you watch them." He looked at her seriously.

"I will." She put her hand on his hand and squeezed but quickly took it off.

They worked together for the next three hours. Hermione guided the younger students through four potions typically tested in the OWL exam. She kept her wand out and Severus heard her instruct them in the same manner he did, though a little more encouragingly. Thankfully, he was able to concentrate on his NEWT students and two of them had a breakthrough and helped him drag the last two students into comprehending the difficult material. One of the NEWT students started crying when she finally understood. That was the cue for everyone to end for the night. Her friend took the overwhelmed student out of the classroom and the other two stayed to thank Professor Snape for staying so late. The OWL students all vanished their incomplete final potions, cleaned up their stations and thanked Professor Snape as they left as well.

Severus and Hermione, both exhausted, looked at one another in the suddenly empty classroom.

"They're going to be fine, Severus."

Severus nodded. "They will. Thank you, Hermione. I owe you."

"We're even."

Just when he thought she was going to say something nice about him helping her last December, she smirked at him. "I'm keeping that blanket."