A.N.: Alright guys. Here is your next chapter. I have a distinct feeling that you'll enjoy it. Tell me, if I was right.

Thanks to StephanieMRV for her helpful input and to Justsare for improving my English! You're the best!

Chapter 36: Keeping up appearances

It did not take long until the Headmaster came to visit him and for once Severus was actually glad to see the old man. Ever since he had woken up and Hermione was gone from his room, Severus had started to ponder over what he had seen, no felt, the short moment his and Potter's magic connected. Severus had had too much experience with Dark Magic to not realize what happened to the boy, what was desperately trying to keep him alive. Because the energy from the killing curse should have killed him within mere minutes. The answer to that question was complicated - and not in a good way.

"The boy is a Horcrux, Albus," Severus said without repeating the man's greeting. He did not have the nerve for polite conversation right now.

The Headmaster did not even seem shocked, just resigned, when he slowly walked over to his sickbed, sitting down next to it with a tired expression on his face. "I feared as much, even though until now I did not have direct evidence to support my theory.

Severus growled. "Would you have told me? Or would you just have kept it to yourself, like you tend to do with most things, these days?"

Albus looked at him tiredly. "I did not want to worry you unnecessarily. I am aware that the boy is Lily's son and that you hold some affection for him, because of that. But I would have told you, eventually."

'Probably at the latest possible moment,' Severus thought sarcastically. "Do you already have a plan for how to get rid of it? You don't plan on killing the boy off, do you?"

"Only if there is no other way for us. But with the connection between you and Miss Granger, we might not have to. White magic is a powerful tool, Severus. You would be dead if it wasn't for Miss Granger's determination to keep you alive. Once you learn how to use your connection, you might be able to do so much good with it."

Severus felt sick at the man's words. "I am not going to use that connection, Albus, I am not going to use her. She is the best thing that has happened to me in my life and I will not compromise that. To hell with Potter! He is just the shadow of a person long gone, one that did not even like me in the end. Hermione is alive and she cares about me, more than anybody ever has. I will not lose her," he said, adding silently: 'Even if that means never telling her that I would like her to be more than my friend.'

Albus looked at him with a calm expression, like Severus' words weren't bothering him in the least. "Of course, my boy. But what about Miss Granger? Will she feel the same way?"

Severus wanted to jump from his bed, to hit the man's crooked nose or at least to scream at him. But that would mean showing the man that he had found a weak spot - which he wouldn't. "She might or might not," Severus said cryptically, schooling his face into an expressionless mask. "To find out about that, you would have to tell her about the Horcruxes and I would not disclose such information to a school girl that is unable to occlude her mind and therefore protect such an important secret."

Albus nodded slowly, his thin fingers stroking his long beard. "I know," he said, his blue eyes staring calculatingly but unseeingly into the room. "Luckily there is no pressure for making that decision anytime soon. Not with all those other Horcruxes still around."

Severus nodded. The Headmaster did have a point. Still, he would be on the watch, because with Albus Dumbledore one could never be sure they were not being manipulated… again.

sssssssss

Hermione did not know what was happening, but ever since she returned from the hospital wing, things with Ron were… different. She was happy to see him, as happy as she had been the day before - she thought. But as soon as the boy touched her, it just felt wrong. It took all her restraint to not flinch back from his touch and she suffered through the long hug he greeted her with, while putting on a happy face and patting his back awkwardly. Luckily nobody seemed to realize something was amiss, not even Ron himself.

Hermione, on the other hand, had a very good idea what had happened, as she had read her fair share of books on Kindred Magic now. Her heart to heart with Severus and their shared experience of saving Harry from dying had made their bond stronger, but also exclusive. Merlin!

Also, the old longing for her bond-mate was back, the tug in her chest that signalled her she needed to see him. Unfortunately, her next DADA lesson was about three days away and Hermione wasn't even sure if Severus would be back to teaching by then. But waiting such a long time before being able to see him again seemed totally unacceptable if not impossible. Just thinking about the possibility of not being able to properly see Severus for such a long time, made her break out in anxiety. She wanted to see him, to talk to him and she was pretty sure it wasn't just because the bond forced her to. She genuinely looked forward to continuing their project of building the first magical microscope and the idea of sitting in his quarters, discussing magical theory made her feel like there was nothing else she'd rather do. Only she couldn't…

"Professor Dumbledore told us you had to help Snape brew several potions for Harry," Ron murmured, his voice full of sympathy for her. "He said the git asked for your assistance, as you obviously got used to his methods during your last detentions. You really do have some rotten luck, Mione."

Hermione answered by making an unintelligible sound and a nod. It wasn't like she could tell them she had spent the night at Severus' bedside, holding his hand. Considering what the boys knew and thought of the man, that would probably only sound absurd and she could easily imagine their reaction. It wasn't anything she wanted to experience.

"But it seems like I once again have to thank Hermione for saving my sorry arse," Harry said, grinning crookedly. "Dumbledore said someone cast a Killing Curse on me..."

Hermione nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. Strangely enough that did not kill you, at least not right away. But it would have, eventually. Do you have any idea why you... why it didn't work?"

Harry looked at her with furrowed brows. "I... not really, no. I mean, I'd like to experience a year when nobody tries to kill me, for once. Until now they haven't been very successful, have they?"

She could not help but roll her eyes. "Yeah, but there was always a reason for it, Harry. The protection from your mum is gone and it also cannot have been the twin cores from yours and You-Know-Who's wand. I mean, somebody would have noticed, if he walked through Hogsmeade. Apart from that, you were attacked from behind and didn't even fight back."

Ron nodded thoughtfully, even though he seemed somewhat in a bad mood. "Well, maybe Harry was just lucky, Mione. Does it even matter now?"

"Of course it matters , Ron," she said passionately. "What if this unknown person tries again and finds a way to succeed next time? I don't see them just giving up, do you?"

The redhead grumbled silently, but Harry looked at her with a considering gaze. "What if it was Malfoy and he just mucked it up? I mean, to successfully cast this Unforgivable one has to mean it, right? What if he just couldn't do it?"

It was a possibility, Hermione thought, nodding towards her black-haired friend. "Maybe," she said, before looking at Ron. "We should definitely keep an eye on him. Don't you have patrols with him today, Ron?"

"Yeah," her boyfriend replied, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Then you'll maybe notice if he behaves differently. I guess talking about Harry being attacked and studying his reaction to that would be a bit too obvious," she added, the boys nodding in agreement .

"Probably," Ron said, before taking her hand into his possessively. "I'd rather spend the evening with you, you know?" he mumbled, looking at her and then away, as though trying to judge Harry's reaction towards his words. But Harry just stared into the fire, decisively ignoring the both of them.

"I know," Hermione said, smiling at him. "But you know what? I could take a look at your potions essay while you're gone and... I was thinking..." she chewed her bottom lip, considering what else she could do that would make him happy and not act against the bond she had with Severus. "You know I bought those two-way mirrors to communicate with my parents. I'd like to take them to your Quidditch match on Saturday. They said they'd really like to see you playing."

"Really?" Ron asked, his bad mood seemingly forgotten. "Brilliant! I'll show them all my best moves, then!"

Hermione nodded encouragingly. "Do that. My dad had so many questions about Quidditch and I couldn't really answer them to his satisfaction. You could talk to him after the game, if you like..."

Ron beamed at her proudly. "I'd love to," he said, pressing a quick kiss onto her cheek. "I'm sure we'll get on splendidly. Anyway, I think I need to go. We wouldn't want to leave the ferret waiting."

Harry snorted, while Hermione just smiled at her boyfriend. She couldn't really say she was sorry to see him go, she realized in dismay. Merlin, why had she been so eager to declare him her boyfriend? It wasn't really like they had many things in common. But she couldn't just break things off now, not after a day... How should she explain her sudden change of heart? She wouldn't drag Severus into this mess, especially as their bond wasn't really the reason things between her and Ron could not work out. A few days ago she had thought liking each other and trusting each other would be enough for starting a relationship, but she wasn't so sure now. Even if Ron was willing to be dragged into a bookstore and she could stomach sitting through his Quidditch games, would they really like to discuss those things afterwards? Would Ron ever enjoy discussing magical theory or history with her? Probably not... But it wasn't like they could spend all their free time kissing or doing other things. Because even after doing the former for quite some time yesterday it had still felt kind of… awkward. And Hermione was sure that it wasn't just because their technique was still somewhat lacking and Ron had managed to bite her tongue while being overly enthusiastic.

They would have to talk to each other at some point but apart from saving Harry and fighting You-Know-Who they didn't have so many common interests, if she was honest. So what were they actually going to talk about?

Ssssssss

Hermione decided to retire early after combing through Ron's essay and leaving it for him with Harry. Her head had slowly started to ache and she knew it wasn't because of Ron's sloppy work but the fact that she had not seen Severus for the whole day. She would somehow have to make it through the night, she thought, just as she suddenly became aware of a black raven sitting on the dorm's windowsill, staring at her approaching figure with black, expectant eyes. There was no doubt of who that raven was, especially as their bond gave a pleased hum when she approached him.

Hermione hastily walked to the window and opened it, the raven entering her dorm with a confident flap of his wings. Hermione saw him landing on her bedpost and for a moment Hermione asked herself how Severus had been able to tell which bed was hers. But then she noticed the huge stack of books on her nightstand and remembered that he had been to the room before, making the question void.

She wanted to ask him what he was doing here, but then she saw that he held a letter in his beak. Hermione took it from him with a small smile and a nod, before slowly sitting down on her bed and opening it. There wasn't just a sheet of parchment inside, but also a familiar black bracelet, the same one she had worn when accompanying him into the black lake.

Hermione looked at Severus with her eyebrow raised questioningly at him, but his only answer was a clicking of his beak while adamantly staring at the letter. Right. With nervous fingers she unfolded it and started to read.

Hermione,

This is the only way I'll be able to see you privately right now, as Minerva would probably kill me if I gave you another round of detentions. The Headmaster has approved of it, knowing that I will stick to your side and avoid those other girls like a plague. Through the bracelet we'll at least be able to communicate and talk about all those interesting books you'll provide for our shared time come tomorrow. I'll be happy to discuss all of them with you, if you wish to do so.

Now burn that letter and slip on that damned bracelet, girl. I'd rather discuss things in person with you.

SS

Hermione looked at the animagus with an amused expression on her face, casting a silent Incendio on the letter before tossing the remains out of the window. Then she slipped on Severus' bracelet and climbed into her bed, patting the blanket next to her.

"Come in here," she invited him mentally. "It might not exactly be proper, but I'd rather not have the others question me, why I am staring at a raven for god knows how long. Because I will not talk to you while pretending to ignore you. That's just rude."

Hermione heard the older man snort in her mind, but he did as she asked.

"Not that I would have cared," he replied, traipsing across her blanket. "But I guess this is more comfortable, if we want to read together. You'll have to turn the pages, though."

Hermione smiled, grabbing the book on warding techniques from her nightstand, before pulling her curtains shut. "I'm currently trying to figure out how to cast some basic and slightly advanced wards. Pity Hogwarts does not offer classes on that sort of thing," she mumbled, opening the book in front of her.

"I could teach you," her friend offered, sounding genuine. "It is not so difficult. I did all the warding of my office myself."

Hermione looked at him with wide, excited eyes. "You would do that? Really?"

Severus inclined his head. "I would. The spells I would have to teach you without being transformed though, but we will find a way to do that. In the worst case you'll have to provoke me into giving you detention again."

"Absolutely not," she said, looking at him with a scandalized expression. That's when she saw the smug look in his raven eyes and realized that he had been teasing her. She huffed and before she knew what she was doing, she tossed her pillow towards him, making him dodge it with an amused raven cackle.

It was almost like they were already friends, for months or even years, with him teasing her like that. Hermione realised that she came to like this new way he treated her. Severus was right, they would make good friends if they allowed it. And there was no logical reason for her not to, considering how much she already enjoyed spending time with him.

Ssssssss

The week progressed without too much excitement, Severus dividing his time between classes, keeping an eye on his godson, and spending his evenings with Hermione in her bed. He made it a matter of course to stay inside of her bed-curtains until she assured him that no other girls were around, so that she could help him leave the room without anyone noticing a thing. Because even though he secretly snuck into a girls' dorm night by night, he did so for the most harmless of reasons - to read - and not to look at things he had no wish to see.

Hermione had accepted him into her life and her bed without making a fuss, eagerly providing book after book he recommended for her from the library. Most of them he had not read himself and so he made it a habit to sit next to her on her pillow, staring into the book while she turned the pages for them. Sometimes they did not speak much at all, reading in companionable silence while at other times they animatedly discussed the topics from the books. It was like behind those curtains they were really friends now, with Hermione treating him like he was an equal and not the grumpy Professor she was respectfully but dispassionately talking to, during their DADA lessons. Severus was careful to treat her the same as he had before, in class. He did not ask her to duel him again and usually paired her off with Potter, taking Weasley's education into his own hands. He was careful not to hurt the boy, but more often than not he made a show of humiliating him, a bit. Severus just could not help it, but seeing the boy scramble for his wand or picking himself up from the floor was just too satisfying to watch. Apart from that Mr Weasley was a bad choice for an Auror and if he really attempted to become one, it would only be a matter of time until the reckless redhead got himself killed. But going by the boy's clenched jaw and the fire in his eyes, he was still too stubborn to realize that.

"Don't take it too personally, Ron," he heard Hermione soothe the agitated redhead, after another lesson on Friday was over. "Your shields are already much stronger and maybe next week…"

"Stuff it, Hermione," the boy scowled at her. "While you had fun duelling Harry, I was made a laughing stock, again! I swear that bastard hates me and he's doing that on purpose."

Mr Weasley wasn't wrong, Severus mused, while putting the room back in its original state. He could have done that much faster, if he tried, but somehow listening in to this little encounter was way too satisfying. It definitely looked like there was trouble in paradise.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," he heard Hermione saying. "Why would Professor Snape do that? You should be glad he's tutoring you himself. I'm sure he has many useful comments that help you improve. And he is right, you know? If you really want to become an Auror, you'll have to face much more dangerous spells than what he's throwing at you."

Severus could make out the exact moment when Mr Weasley snapped, his eyes taking on an angry glimmer while his head took on the colour of a ripe tomato. "You're one to talk, Hermione. You landed yourself in detention because the man disarmed you, twice. I'd love to see your reaction to being repeatedly stunned or thrown off your feet. Or maybe Snape would also find a way to use that ridiculous hair of yours against you!"

Severus sighed. He had always known that Weasley was a moron, but this sealed it. Even Potter seemed to think so, as he could see him trying to calm down his friend and help Hermione. But that only seemed to anger the redhead even further.

"Of course you're taking her side now," Severus heard Mr Weasley shout, his fists clenched angrily at his sides. "After all Hermione even ran from our date to sit at your bedside, holding your hand. She even agreed to work with Snape to save your sorry arse! Well, good luck mate! You can have her. She's terrible at kissing anyway!"

Severus heard his friend gasp and look at her boyfriend in shock. It took all of his self-control to not storm towards them and wipe the floor with the arrogant prick that hurt her. But he didn't. Instead he left the room quietly and strolled towards the Great Hall, where lunch was already waiting for him. Strangely enough he felt almost hungry, all of a sudden. He was sure Hermione would be fine without the prick that was her ex-boyfriend now. The idiot hadn't even managed to keep her for a week, Severus thought, and felt very much like grinning. But that would have been strangely out of character for him and he did not want to scare the poor first graders that hurried past him with ducked heads.