In a perfect world Hermione wouldn't have to lie. But in a perfect world people would just let them exist instead of trying to constantly intrude on their private lives. It was frustrating that people who were supposed to be on her side were constantly second guessing every little move she made - first Remus, now Ginny? If it was just assumptions, she would have either told her off completely or made up some sort of story - but the problem was she had actually seen them. Harry believed his girlfriend on principle, and even if he thought such a thing was too ridiculous to be true both him and Ron would run up to the Headmaster without even stopping to question it.
What would he tell them? At first glance it had seemed that Severus and her would be allowed to fly under the radar, but that had been before this afternoon. Everything was always about Harry - which she understood, in a sense - so with him putting pressure on Dumbledore or even complaining about a rumor it could come back to bite them instead. The question was what to do about her other friend now, how to go about dismantling that condemnation that was already solid on her face.
As much as she didn't want to, she knew something would have to be told. Not all of it, but enough. Sitting at the foot of her bed she started with her parents this summer, trying not to make it sound like an attempt at garnering sympathy. It still wasn't easy to talk about, but having done it at least once already she didn't break down completely. That was progress. Maybe this way if she didn't survive the war someone else would be able to at least go and make sure that they were alright, that they were happy without her.
She skimmed over the days her and Severus had spent together wandering museums and cathedrals, entire afternoons lazing in bed and taking pleasure from each other's flesh… There were some memories she would hold precious in her heart and carry them to her grave, no matter what anyone else tried to claim. But she did tell her about the potion convention, how Severus had rescued her from someone else. She didn't try to make it sound worse than it was, but she didn't cut corners with what happened either. From there it was easy to weave a story out of half truths, starting with a kiss under a moonlit night when he walked her back to her hotel and ending with not even seeing him again until Christmas.
The way she told it, they hadn't even seen each other outside of class and meals during all the time between. Nothing inappropriate had gone on at the school, and it was simply pent up emotion for two people finally taking a step back outside of the relationship they already had. It was hard to tell whether Ginny bought her story, if only part-way, but she sat back and let her think on it.
"But you love Ron, you two are fated to be together." The protest was expected, the girl practically channing her mother with that sort of talk. And Hermione knew she wasn't the only one. Even Remus had seemed shocked that she didn't return the boy's affections, almost dismissing it because he wanted to push a narrative about Severus being a predator. Most of the professors likely thought that they would grow up and marry soon after graduation, popping out a bunch of babies from the relief that the war was over.
But Hermione was prepared for something like that to come along, refusing to get emotional or defensive. At least in this she had to appear calm and completely of her own mind, or Ginny would think something crazy like she was doing all this to get back at Ron for Lavender - even though he didn't know about it. "Did you love Dean Thomas?" She waited for the shocked spluttering to die down a bit, holding up her hand to cut it off. "Does the fact that you did love him once cheapen what you feel for Harry? Or does loving Harry now mean that you never cared about him at all?"
Sitting back against the headboard she gave a sad smile and shook her head. "That's one thing I've never understood about the wizarding world. Everyone's so quick to believe in soulmates, but no one wants to believe that a person can fall in love more than once in their entire lives! What if your soulmate dies or marries someone else? Are you just destined to be unhappy forever?" It struck her as she asked that this very logic was something that Severus likely believed for a huge majority of his life.
The question seemed to strike her friend here too, as she didn't know how to come back from that. Ginny stared at her lap for a good while, trying to make it make sense in her head. What she knew of Snape was very one dimensional just like what Harry knew of him. But something that she had never been able to get out of her head was the way that he had looked at Hermione that day in the kitchen. There had been teasing, yes. But other than the fact she was shocked the man even knew how to smile, there had been a lightness about his eyes that she couldn't ignore.
"...He has a big nose." She commented after a little while of quiet, startling Hermione out of her own thoughts. "Excuse me?" If anyone was about to start in on that of all things she wasn't going to stand for it for a second. "No, you know! Like… what they say about a wizard's uh…" Ginny waved a hand below her waist and it suddenly struck what she was hinting at. "Oh no, we are absolutely not talking about that!" At the same time her expression was scandalized, her heart soared with relief. This was as good as acceptance from the youngest Weasley, and she knew at least for now their secret was safe.
Now they just had to make it through this war.