A.N.: Hey guys, thank you for your encouragement and your kind words of support. I'm feeling better again and managed to finish another chapter. For those who wonder: Severus will NOT be a love interest for Hermione in this story. Maybe I'll write Hermione/Severus one day, because I like him and I'd love to try, but not in this story or the next one.

Multilingualism betaed again and corrected my awkward english. Thank you, my friend.

Chapter 16: How to do the impossible

"I can't get her out of my head," George admitted towards his twin as they were just about to finish their experiments in their lab. It had been several long days since their first and probably last date with their favourite Prefect, but for George, it had felt like ages. His heart simply refused to accept what his head realized was the truth: Hermione could not date both of them and so it was better to forget the little, feisty witch before anyone of them got hurt. But god, it was difficult!

"You mean Hermione?" Fred asked as he boxed the first finished Puking Pastilles into the containers they had designed for the Skiving Snack boxes. The finished products would be a hit, they had decided, and it would only be days until they would be able to sell the first ones to the more and more desperate students.

"Yeah," George replied with a sigh. "I know what she said made sense and I am thankful she doesn't want to hurt one of us, but I still want her."

Fred hummed in agreement. "Me, too. It will probably take some time to go away. We'll just have to focus on something else. And apart from making loads of different new products for the shop, which always cheers me up, there has been a project we have been neglecting for far too long."

"The Open Link," George uttered what Fred was thinking. "We aren't much closer to finding it than we were two weeks ago. But when we meet Dumbledore after the next Defence lesson, he'll want to hear what we came up with. And that's not that much, to be honest."

Fred groaned. "I know. We have pretty much ruled out everybody from our year, as all of them have made some experiences already. But there 're still so many 6th and 5th years we have no clue about. There needs to be another way to rule some of them out, Georgie. It can't just be about sexual experience and all that."

"Not really, no. Why aren't there more people with an Open Link? What makes that person so special? What a person would one need to be, to even establish such a condition?" George summarised his thoughts loudly and stroked his chin.

Fred looked at him with his brows furrowed in concentration. "Well, being an Open Link makes your magical core accessible by another person and we know what that means, brother. Not many people would even want or permit that. Think about all those Slytherins that just want to cover their arses and only think about themselves. It can't be one of them."

George nodded. "No, it can't be. Maybe it's someone who would do almost anything for his friends, someone loyal or empathic."

Fred stroked his chin. "Maybe a Hufflepuff then, but not necessarily. But that's an idea, Georgie. We'll keep our eyes open for someone that would fit such a description. And with a bit of luck, we'll find someone like that. There can't be too many of them."

George snorted. "Probably not. Most teenagers are self-centred idiots. Still, I'd prefer if we could discreetly ask around what other people think who it could be. Alone we are simply not having all of the information we need."

At that, his brother grinned. "Then let's do that, Georgie. And I just got a brilliant idea how to go about that without looking too suspicious."

sssssssss

Harry's next Occlumency lesson was an even bigger disaster than his first one and he was visibly bad-tempered when he stormed back into the Gryffindor common room.

"This is ridiculous," he moaned and threw himself on the sofa next to Hermione. "I swear, Snape's just taking this as a chance to taunt me. God, my head feels like it's 'bout to burst!"

Ron looked at his friend with a dark expression, before he turned his attention to Hermione. "The guy isn't teaching him anything, Mione. Look at him! Do we even know if Snape's really on our side? What if he's working for … you know… and he's just trying to wear him down?"

Hermione looked at the redhead with a dark expression. She could understand why he thought so, as Snape had warned her that he would not teach Harry anything of use. But he couldn't very well tell her friends that she knew for a fact, that Snape was working against You-Know-Who. And so she settled for. "Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Dumbledore trusts him!" But she could see that neither of the boys was convinced.

"Yeah, but what if he's wrong?" Ron countered back and stared at them incredulously. "It wouldn't be the first time that there's a traitor in the Order. Just think about Wormtail. Dumbledore trusted him too, right?"

Well, Ron had a point, Hermione thought but that wasn't why she trusted Snape after all. She had made her very own experiences with the man but that had to remain a secret of course.

"Yeah, Ron's right," Harry grumbled next to her. "Whatever he thinks he's doing, he's not helping me, he's making it worse. The dreams I have, get more vivid every night. It's always the same corridor I see. Do you think that I am seeing through his eyes in my dreams?"

Hermione shuddered at the thought. "It's possible Harry but if that's what it is, it is really a bad sign. We need to do something, so that this connection doesn't get stronger, Harry."

Her friends nodded grumpily. "Yeah, but how?" Ron asked her with an air of desperation. "Snape isn't helping Harry but who else could teach him this Ocumincy?"

"It's Occlumency, Ronald," Hermione corrected him with a sigh. "And I thought about it, boys. I did some research in the last few days and I think I can teach you. Both of you."

"Me too?" Ron asked her with wide eyes. "Why? It's not like I'll need it, right?"

She looked at him with a grim expression. "No? What if You-Know-Who starts using Harry to read our thoughts? We know there's a part of him inside Harry and he's a very powerful, dark wizard, Ron. I don't know about you, but I want to protect my mind, just in case."

"Merlin's pants, you're right, Mione," her red-haired friend mumbled with wide eyes. "He could do that, couldn't he?"

Hermione sighed. "We don't know, Ron. But I'd rather be prepared and apart from that we're better as a team, right?"

"Right," Ron agreed and looked at Harry, who was watching them silently from his seat in the armchair. "You heard Mione, Harry. We're doing this together. And we know Hermione's brilliant. I'm sure she's a ten times better teacher than Snape."

Harry snorted humourlessly. "Seriously? That isn't hard. I'm almost sure even Dobby could do better."

Hermione looked at her friend with wide eyes. "That's it, Harry! We'll ask Dobby!" But the boys just looked at her confusedly and she realized that she had already thought two steps ahead.

"You want Dobby to teach us Occlumency?" Harry asked her with a disbelieving look but Hermione shook her head with a chuckle.

"No, of course not. I'll be doing this. But think about it, boys. We'll need a room to practice, a room where we'll be undisturbed for a while. And who knows the castle better than the Headmaster himself? The house-elves!"

"That actually isn't a bad idea, mate," Ron said and smiled towards the other boy. "Should we go to the dorm and call for him?"

Harry shrugged with a crooked smile. "Can't hurt, I guess. And I think if Hermione will really try to learn and teach us Occlumency, then finding us a room is the least we can do."

sssssssss

Severus could tell the exact evening when Miss Granger had finally taken the potion. Even though almost everybody around him seemed oblivious to it, he thought that she suddenly behaved more cautious around people and she seemed like she was carrying even more weight on her shoulder now. He still wasn't sure if making her aware of her condition had been a good idea, but it was obvious that the people hunting for the Open Link got more and more desperate, especially Umbridge. And so Hermione was probably safer if she at least knew that she was, in fact, the one they were looking for. The girl would have to be careful with displaying emotions or even affection in public and even though Severus had rarely seen her doing so, he knew through their Occlumency sessions that the urge to do so was definitely there. But Hermione Granger was a surprisingly good actor, he found, and if he hadn't been aware of her condition, he would have thought the girl was probably just stressed or something equally fitting for her.

"Ah, Miss Granger," he greeted her when she knocked at his door one week after their last meeting. She was nervous, this much he could tell by just looking at her, but he guessed it was only natural considering the secret she was trying to keep from him. "Come in."

By now she sat down on her armchair without hesitation, which was definitely a good sign, he guessed. And so he decided on a bit of small talk before he would start with the lesson. "Could you convince Potter to take some additional Occlumency lessons from you?"

The girl nodded. "I did. It wasn't very difficult after last Saturday. He wasn't very happy with you, Sir."

He snorted. "Good, because that was very much my intention. With a bit of luck, he'll break off the lessons with me after a while. Then I can finally stop playing this charade."

"Yeah. Teaching him is as difficult as you predicted, though. It's really difficult for him to calm his thoughts and empty his mind. Even Ron is better at doing it."

"You're teaching Weasley, too?" Severus asked her in astonishment, while he sat down across from her. "Merlin, girl, good luck with that."

She smiled wistfully. "Thank you, Sir. But as I said, Ron's doing quite well actually. And I was hoping that him joining us for the lessons would help to motivate Harry."

After that they stared at each other in silence for some moments and as he had no idea how to stretch this small-talk any further he said: "Did you carry out the task I gave you last week, Miss Granger?"

"You mean taking the potion, Sir? " she asked and looked at him with wide, nervous eyes.

"…and hiding whatever you found out, yes. I want you to feel prepared before I enter your mind this time. If you don't feel that that's the case, you can always come back next week."

It was definitely the right thing to say, as the girl immediately seemed to relax in her seat. He had given her an out and for a moment she saw her contemplating if she should use it. But in the end, she decided against it.

"No, I want to stay, Sir. I prepared myself as good as I probably can on my own. And even if you are able to find the memory you are looking for, I… I trust you, Sir. You once gave me the promise that whatever you learn from my mind will not leave the room. And I trust this promise still stands."

He nodded with an honest smile. "It does. Do not fear, Miss Granger. Your secrets are safe with me. I will not betray your trust, you have my word."

The girl smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sir. And thank you for helping me."

"Don't thank me, yet. Thank me afterwards, if you still feel the need to do so. Because I intend to be thorough with you today," Severus promised but the girl just looked at him with a determined nod.

"Alright, Sir. Do your worst then."

He snorted amusedly and pulled his wand out of his sleeve. "As you wish."

ssssssss

Hermione's shoulders sagged in relief when Professor Snape finally left her mind after what felt like ages. The man had been thorough, that much could be said for sure, but Hermione had put a lot of thought into her defences because the Professor had been right: having a secret that was worth keeping could really motivate a person to do their very best. And that's what Hermione had done.

"I must say, I am impressed, Miss Granger," the black-haired man said and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I had my doubts when I started to discover memories in your books again, but I realized that you must have anticipated this."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I wanted it to look like I had chosen this way to protect my memories. Whoever comes and starts looking, has to find something, or he will keep looking."

The Professor smiled. "I see. Well, in this case, I need to congratulate you. Whatever strategy you chose for yourself, it seems to be successful, which means that there is no need to take further lessons from me."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. It would be their last lesson? She should feel relieved at the thought, especially if one considered the secret she was keeping now, but that was just the thing: Professor Snape was already part of the secret, even though he might not be aware of it. And the realization that having finished her Occlumency lessons meant she would no longer be able to see him outside from her Potions lessons, pained her more than she had thought possible. But the reason for it was obvious to her now.

"Thank you, Sir," she said and smiled shyly. "I'm glad that you think so."

He nodded and looked at her with furrowed brows. "Is there anything else, Miss Granger?"

For a moment she froze in her chair. This was the chance to tell him and she should tell him, that much she was sure of. She trusted her Professor, after all, but at the same time, she feared his reaction to her secret. But there was nothing for it, she needed to tell him. Hermione sighed: "I… there is indeed something, Sir."

"Thought so," he said and looked at her with an inclined head. "Out with it then."

She took a calming breath. Professor Snape wasn't the most patient of men and he probably wouldn't appreciate it if she plunged into a big explanation. That's why she decided on the direct approach. "I am the Open Link, Sir. That's what the potion told me."

For a moment he didn't move a muscle and just stared at her unblinkingly. But finally, his hand moved to his forehead and started rubbing it, while the man looked at her with a sigh. "Why are you telling me this, Miss Granger? What do you expect me to do with that kind of information?"

She looked at him with a heavily beating heart. "I don't expect you to do anything, Sir."

He focussed her with his dark eyes. "Let me be frank with you, Miss Granger. It is highly advisable for you to keep that little bit of information a secret. There are many people out to find and secure the Open Link and I thought you were aware of that."

Hermione nodded and stared at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected for him to sound so… upset. "I am aware of it, Sir. And you're the only person I told or intend to tell. I'm not stupid." She regretted her harsh words as soon as she had spoken them because she was sure that he wouldn't appreciate her tone. But there was no taking them back now.

But the Professor didn't look displeased at all as he nodded towards her. "Good. Because you really are in danger if the news of your condition gets out. The Dark Lord is looking for you. He tasked me to find and bring him the Open Link to be precise. Luckily for you, I never intended to do so but there is no saying how much longer he will accept my failure or many other people he asked to do the same."

Hermione looked at him in shock. Merlin, that was really a desperate situation her Professor was in. And she had just added to the weight on his shoulders. She sighed. "I am sorry, Professor. I didn't know. And I really don't want to make this any more difficult for you, but there's more."

He looked at her with a sigh. "Of course there is. Alright, tell me."

Hermione closed her eyes to not have to look at him because she really didn't want to see his face when she told him the next bit. "The Open Link… I… might have attached myself to you, Sir."

There was absolutely no reaction from him, not a single sound and so Hermione was forced to open her eyes and look at him. His face was an expressionless mask, while his eyes stared at her like they were trying to solve a complicated puzzle. But even as she sought out his eyes with hers he didn't say a word. She swallowed heavily. "I don't know how these kinds of things work, Sir, but that's what the potion told me. And I thought you should be aware of it."

Finally, he nodded and shook his head with a disbelieving snort. "I have no idea how these kinds of things work either, Miss Granger. There is not a lot of information on your … condition as it is very rare. But I am pretty sure that this connection you seemed to have formed to me, is not permanent and will fade if you find a different, more suitable linking partner. So there is no reason for you to panic as you will not be attached to me permanently."

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "I am not panicking, Sir. I trust you and I guess that is also the reason why the Link chose you for the time being. Are you…. Are you alright with that connection, Sir?"

He looked at her for a long moment. "I am not averse to it if this is what you're worried about, Miss Granger. But I think there should be certain rules to make sure that there are no… misunderstandings between us."

Hermione nodded. That only made sense, she guessed. "I agree. What rules do you have in mind, Sir?"

Professor Snape rubbed his forehead once more and suddenly he looked almost uncomfortable. "There is and there will not be a romantic relationship between us. I am not open for this kind of… offer and I expect you to respect these boundaries."

"Of course, Sir," she hastily replied with pink cheeks. Merlin, she hadn't even considered that he could interpret her confession in that way, but it made sense of course. "I never intended to…" she motioned between the two of them with their hands, before she broke off her sentence awkwardly.

He nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Furthermore, we have to make sure not to have been seen together too often, as we don't want to raise any suspicions. I understand that we'll have to meet regularly for … the connection to remain intact, but you cannot be seen visiting my office on a regular basis. I would be too dangerous for the both of us."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. How should she do that? "I understand, Sir, but I don't know how to do that."

He waved her off unconcernedly. "I will teach you the Disillusionment Charm before you leave. It is not part of the Hogwarts Curriculum, but you have proved that you do possess a certain amount of intelligence so you should be able to master it quickly."

She blinked at him in confusion. Did he just compliment her? "Thank you, Sir. That is very kind. Is there anything else?"

He nodded. "Two more things, actually. You will not draw off my magical power, as long as it is not an emergency. This is very important, as I am regularly relying on my magic to keep myself alive. I will abide by the same rule, Miss Granger. I will not use your magic if I am not in dire need of it."

"That is very thoughtful, Sir. I promise I will not misuse the Link in that kind of way. What is the last thing, Professor?"

At that, the man smiled openly at her. It was such a strange sight, that it made Hermione pause. "As long as we are amongst ourselves, you should call me Severus. It is not strictly necessary if you feel uncomfortable doing so, but considering these new circumstances…"

Hermione nodded with a smile. "Of course, Severus," she said and tested the feel of his name on her tongue. "But you'll call me Hermione in return."

Severus smiled. "As you wish. That would be all, from my side. Is there any other rule, you'd like to establish, Hermione?"

She gnawed at her bottom lip and thought for a long while. But there was nothing she could think of. "No, Sir…. Ah… Severus. There's nothing else."

"Good. Then let me show you the Disillusionment Charm before you go." The Professor got up and motioned for her to do the same. She did so with an eager smile. The next half an hour was the most enjoyable she had had in weeks. Severus was a brilliant teacher if he decided to be. She had made the right decision connecting herself to him, for now. Severus Snape made her feel safe and supported. And the connection to him gave her two things she desperately needed in times like these: an ally she trusted and could rely on and more importantly: time to figure out whom she trusted enough to forge a permanent magical connection to him. Because as it looked love wasn't just a casual thing for her but could connect her permanently to a person, if she decided to act on it. And considering that for most people her age such kind of commitment was unthinkable right now, that left her in a pretty difficult situation.