Author's Note: There's a little something for everyone in this chapter, including my Ron fans. Enjoy!

October 1999

Outwardly over the next weeks, Hermione and Severus were the definition of status quo. Classes were in full swing, lessons were taught, papers were graded, projects were resumed. But inwardly, they were changed.

Hermione was working like a woman possessed. She seemed to be more tired and eating less. They had tacitly decided to pull back from their physical relationship. One result was that Hermione no longer came down to his quarters.

"I'll see you tonight for rounds," Hermione said casually one morning at breakfast.

"I have rounds with Langham tonight, I thought."

"I told him I needed to trade with him."

Severus smirked. "And he agreed?"

"Obviously," she said, mimicking Severus.

Severus raised an eyebrow, looking at her.

Hermione popped up from her chair. "See you tonight."

Later that night, Severus waited in his office, interested to see what the night held for him.

Hermione opened his office door and walked in. "Ready?"

Severus nodded and they left his office. They walked his usual pattern: down each corridor methodically working their way up each floor. Severus was no fool and they both knew that they were making their way to the astronomy tower.

She talked and told him about the work she was doing to get her projects completed and ready for publication. It was not as exciting as developing the charms.

"I wish I could write in your quarters. It's lonely."

Severus hummed in agreement. "Quite."

They chastised students who were out past curfew. But as they reached the higher floors, there were no students to be found. They climbed up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower and Severus did a sweep of the tower to make sure they were the only visitors.

As he came back around to Hermione, she reached up to Severus' neck to bring him down to her and kissed him. He felt her wandlessly ward the door to the tower. "I've missed you so much," she said as Severus kissed her neck.

He stopped that he could look at her. "I've missed you, too."

"I just want to be done. I don't want to hide on the Astronomy Tower to kiss you." She punctuated this with another kiss.

He could tell she was tired and overwhelmed. "Let's sit, Hermione." He cushioned the floor and they sat down. She put her hand on his leg and he put his arm around her. He kissed her softly, letting go of the urgency he felt when they first arrived.

"What are we supposed to do next? What happens after my apprenticeship? I've never done this before. I've never even snogged on the Astronomy Tower before," she joked. "So many questions." She looked at him and smiled sadly. "I'm a mess."

He looked at her and smiled. "You're not a mess. You're normal. This is how normal people feel when they can see the finish line." He paused. "Hermione, at one point, quite soon if I'm not mistaken, your life with look like every other witch's. You will leave Hogwarts, get a job and then a wizard will ask you on a date. If he is very, very lucky, you will say yes. And if he's extraordinarily lucky," he said silkily, "you will be wearing that blue dress you wore at your party."

She playfully hit his leg.

He laughed and put his head back on the wall as she put her head on his shoulder.

"I don't have the answers, Hermione. I've never snogged on the Astronomy Tower either, though I can now say I have."

That earned him another playful swat.

"I miss you," he continued. "If you want to work in my quarters, work in my quarters."

"But Minerva," Hermione began.

"Minerva wants you finished without a scandal. You've spent the last six months in my quarters and Hogwarts didn't implode."

"I'd like that," she said softly. "But I have to get my work done," she said warningly.

Severus nodded. "I know."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes. Bossy little witch."

A few moments later, Hermione broke the silence. "I love you, Severus."

He turned to her as she raised her head from his shoulder. "I love you, too, Hermione."

He watched, somewhat stunned, as Hermione maneuvered her body to straddle Severus' lap. The emotion of hearing those words coupled with the kisses that followed threatened to drown him and it took all of his self-control to slow them down after a long few minutes.

"We're not checking off any more boxes tonight, love."

She blushed and nodded, smiling. Then her face registered comprehension. "Love."

He knew she was remembering months ago when she thought he almost called her, "Lily." He leaned in to kiss her again and whispered, "Love." He wound one of his hands into her hair as they kissed. His other hand held her waist and every fiber of his being wanted to explore her body. The hand on her waist started inching up when he felt Hermione tense.

He leaned his head back onto the cold stone wall with his eyes closed and lowered his hands. "We need to leave, Hermione." He could hear her shaky breathing as she tried to regain her composure.

"Um, yes." But even as she agreed with him, he felt her finger trace his lips.

He grabbed her finger and opened his eyes as he kissed it. They sat there for a moment later looking at each other. He smiled at her softly. His Hermione. He took in the sight of her sitting on his lap and took a deep breath. "I think this time you're going to need to help me up."

"Do I get to call you a bossy wizard?" she joked, maneuvering off of him and holding out her hands to help Severus stand up.

He lowered his head and kissed her chastely. "Let's walk to your quarters. And I'll see you tomorrow night?"

She nodded.

He smoothed a section of her hair that he had mussed as they had kissed right before he opened the door of the Astronomy Tower.

After that night, Hermione resumed coming down to his quarters to work. They settled into a routine that Severus could only describe as domestic. It was nice to kiss her every night. But he, too, was ready for her to be done so that they could get on another path, leading to a different destination. He was ready to stop hiding. But the change wrought in Hermione was worth it. She was much happier, and they were both better together.

The following Sunday, Severus received an owl at breakfast. There were only two other professors at breakfast that early; most were having a lie-in. Which was good, because the bird was making quite a scene.

"Pig!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to quiet down the hyper ball of fluff as it twittered near Severus' coffee.

"Pig?"

"Don't ask. It's Ron's owl."

"Of course. Why is Ronald mailing me?"

"How would I know? Here, I'll hold Pig while you untie the letter."

Severus untied the letter and watched as Hermione gave the owl a piece of bacon and told it to be safe flying home. How a witch so well versed in the dark arts could be so kind was beyond him.

Severus,

Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron at 7 Saturday night. Don't escort Hermione. She'll probably ask, but say no.

Harry

"What does Harry want with me at the Leaky Cauldron Saturday night?" Severus asked, skeptical.

"Oh, what time? I'm going to London to meet up with Ginny at six. We can go together."

"How are you getting to London?"

"Minerva's fireplace. So can we go together?"

Severus looked again at the letter and handed it over to her.

She scanned it quickly. "What? All right, fine. But you'll go, won't you?"

Severus wondered what, if anything, he could refuse her. He harrumphed and nodded. But Hermione just laughed at him and he smiled into his coffee mug when she smiled at him.

Saturday at seven, Severus traveled by Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. He steeled himself for the night ahead of him. He trusted Potter, but this had "plots and plans" written all over it.

As he exited the fireplace in The Leaky Cauldron, he rolled his eyes. It looked like "plots and plans" was an understatement. A few of the tables had been pushed together to make a table for ten right in the middle of the pub, and seated there were Harry, Ron and a few others. But as Severus walked nearer the table, he was surprised that it was Bill Weasley that stood and loudly greeted him.

"Severus, over here!" he exclaimed, both loudly and completely unnecessarily. As Severus got closer he shook Severus' hand and clapped him on the back.

"Bill," Severus greeted. Everyone was on a first-name basis after Ginny's admonishments.

"Here, have a seat," he gestured to the seat next to him.

He sat and took stock of the men greeting him: Bill, Ron, George, Draco and Harry. There were empty seats strategically placed among the men. Definitely plotting. The Three Broomsticks was full of patrons, and full of people walking through to go to Diagon Alley. He could pick out quite a few Ministry workers, some members of the Wizengamot and quite a few witches were openly staring at the table of mostly eligible bachelors.

It was loud in the pub, but even so, Severus cast a mild Muffliato. "All right, Harry. Why are we here?"

"For Hermione," he answered, as if Severus was thick. "Listen, word on the street is that you and Hermione are about to become 'you and Hermione.'"

He didn't feel the need to lie to this ragtag group. "Yes. But I don't see," he began.

"Think of us as your backstory," Ron answered. "'Hermione was my apprentice' kind of sucks for a backstory, don't you think?"

"It does indeed," Severus answered.

"Hermione," Harry began, "has a lovely strategy with press in general and especially bad press; she likes to try to ignore it and then get revenge, but we're a little tired of the get revenge plan. We don't do anything without thinking in advance about how to keep our names out of the Daily Prophet."

"As if you could go one day without your name in there," Draco scoffed. He turned to Severus. "The goal is to reduce the amount of mud your name will be dragged through."

Ron nodded and continued. "So we're here to create the story of how you and Hermione - post apprenticeship - connected through mutual friends. Say hello to your mutual friends."

Everyone at the table laughed and Severus looked at the disparate group. He turned to Bill first. "You're my favorite Weasley," Severus started.

"Hey!" George interjected. "Can you believe that?" he asked Ron.

"Um, yeah," Ron said matter-of-factly, which made Harry and Draco laugh.

Severus ignored them. "But what are you doing here?"

"For Hermione," Bill said seriously. "If they say Hermione needs me, I'm here."

"See," Ron began, "problem number two - after the apprenticeship problem - is that you're older."

"But you're not that much older than me," Bill supplied. "Hanging out with me makes people think you're younger. I also have a wife seven years younger. We're the bridge in age between you and Hermione. You and I are about to be best friends."

"What other problems are you fixing for me tonight? Why are you here, Draco?"

"For Hermione," he said seriously.

"Merde," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "He's here because he's still trying to rehab the Malfoy name."

"Oh yeah," Draco replied, "well merde to you, too. You didn't ask me here for the Malfoy name or for Hermione."

Harry snorted. "Draco took me and Ron to see the French Quidditch National Team play and we stayed with his family in France. We learned how to swear in French and we met Draco's cousin Elyse."

"Merde. Where was I?" joked George.

"Elyse Malfoy is your cousin?" Fleur Delacour's voice came from over Severus' shoulder. All of the men turned to see Fleur, Hermione, Ginny and Angelina, all of whom were carrying shopping bags. "She is very nice, Ron. I went to school with her. Very good at Potions."

"That would make one of you," deadpanned Severus, causing everyone to laugh, including Ron.

"Very ugly, though," Harry joked as Ginny raised one eyebrow with fake menace. She gave him a smile and rolled her eyes.

The men stood and the women walked to the open seats.

"Ginny," Severus said in greeting.

"Severus," Ginny replied with a smile and a nod.

It was deja vu to watch Hermione as she tried to figure out where to sit. But she needn't have worried, that choice had been made hours ago. On one side of the table, it was Angelina, Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione. On the other side was George, Draco, Severus, Bill and Fleur. Severus was impressed with the casualness of the layout coupled with the strategy. Hermione was isolated from Ron so that no one would think they were a couple. Hermione was seated next to her best girlfriend. Couples were seated by each other. Severus and Hermione were at the same table within talking distance but not next to each other.

Severus leaned toward Draco. "Nice arrangement."

Draco nodded. "Anything for Hermione."

Upon hearing her name, Hermione looked toward Draco and Severus. She smiled nervously.

Conversation bounced from George's joke shop to wedding plans for Harry and Ginny to what was going on at Hogwarts and Gringotts and Magical Law Enforcement. Severus was pleased that beyond the meeting and the seating arrangement, nothing else was scripted or forced. He did feel like people were asking him more questions than normal, but what was normal with this lot? The addition of Bill was a stroke of genius. Bill was ten years older than Hermione's cohort and as such, he changed the dynamic of the group slightly. It made it slightly more mature, but it also had the effect of freeing Severus to smile and laugh with the group. Bill brought the younger people up a notch in maturity and brought Severus down a notch. No one watching their group would think that eight people had birthed a master plan. They were like an eight-headed plotting, twinkling Dumbledore. Gryffindors.

Two weeks later, his floo activated and Minerva asked him to join her in her office. A minute later, he exited the fireplace in the office that was once his and took a seat across from Minerva and a snoozing portrait of Dumbledore.

"Minerva," Severus greeted.

"I wanted to talk to you about Hermione," Minerva began.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "We had that conversation already."

"This is a new one." She paused. "You need to tell her about the Sequitur Simul."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Why?"

Minerva frowned at him. "Do you mean to tell me your plan is to never tell her?"

"No. I just want to hear your reasons."

"Did your knowing about it change the way you viewed Hermione?"

Severus looked up at the snoozing portrait of Dumbledore. "Yes."

"The longer you wait, the more that will turn from a positive sentiment in Hermione's mind to a negative one. She will feel like she's the last one to the meeting. That all of the decision making has been made and no one asked her opinion. And we both know that Hermione is usually the first to know things, not the last. I don't think she'll thank you for keeping that from her."

"When was I supposed to tell her? When she was a fifth year in the Hospital Wing? When she was on the run from Voldemort?"

Minerva studied him. "But there was a time, wasn't there? That sliver of light between friendship and budding romance? There was a time when it could have gone smoother."

Severus nodded. "And I missed it. I was a coward."

Minerva stood and walked around her desk to where he was sitting. "Not a coward. Just a man with much to lose." She sat in the chair next to him and summoned a tartan tin of biscuits. "Have a biscuit, Snape."

Severus looked at her and shook his head. "Biscuits won't fix this, Minerva."

"No," Minerva said, sighing and picking out a biscuit. "They never quite do. But you can fix this. As I see it, you've got three things going for you: one, Hermione is very intelligent. Two, the Sequitur Simul doesn't lie. It's not a life guarantee, but it's definitely something hard to ignore. Merlin, even Molly, who wanted Hermione as a daughter-in-law has decided instead to just adopt you both as family, together. Third, Hermione is very fond of you, if she doesn't love you already." She paused. "I know you Severus. You already have a plan. Out with it. Can I help?"

Severus looked at Minerva and nodded. "She needs to find out just like I did. I'm going to show her the memory. And maybe a couple more."

"You need the pensieve?"

"Yes. And I would dearly like privacy." Here he glanced up at the portraits who, though feigning sleep, were no longer snoring.

Minerva frowned at the eavesdropping portraits. "We understand, don't we Phineas?"

Phineas Nigellus did a very bad acting job waking up. "I'm sorry, Minerva, did you call me?"

Minerva rolled her eyes. "When?"

"The second she's done with her apprenticeship, formally. I don't want to derail her so close to the end. And I don't want her to start this next chapter of her life without her knowing."

Minerva nodded. "You'll have it."