Snape found her by the lake. He crouched down behind her, rubbed her shoulders, and brought his head close to her ear.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"You know exactly what's wrong," she screamed, pulling away from him.
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about. You are apparently assuming that I know everything that runs through your head," he said calmly. He didn't bother to move.
"Well, if you're going to play stupid, then I won't tell you. She crossed her arms in anger.
"This is about Draco, isn't it?" he asked her.
"You're correct. Sorry, I don't have a prize for you." She pushed herself away as Snape came closer.
"Hermione, what I told you was the truth. I was only helping Draco with an assignment and nothing more. You have to trust me on this one. If you can't trust me with something like this, then we might as well not be together," he pleaded.
"How can you prove you didn't do it?" she asked.
"How can you prove that I did?" he asked her.
"Just the way I saw you tow when I walked in and when I saw that...that thing on his neck I just..."
"Jumped to conclusions," he finished for her.
"Severus, I'm sorry," she choked out as she began to cry. She put her hands over her face.
"It's alright, it's alright," he said, hugging her as they rocked back and forth under the trees.
They stayed out there for a while, listening to the surroundings of the lake. Suddenly, the sky became overcast and the wind began to pick up.
"Looks like there's a storm coming soon. We better go inside," Snape said. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek as he helped her up. They then went inside.
They stepped into his office and sat on his bed. They played a few games of "Go Fish," a card game that Hermione taught him a few nights before.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"You know exactly what's wrong," she screamed, pulling away from him.
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about. You are apparently assuming that I know everything that runs through your head," he said calmly. He didn't bother to move.
"Well, if you're going to play stupid, then I won't tell you. She crossed her arms in anger.
"This is about Draco, isn't it?" he asked her.
"You're correct. Sorry, I don't have a prize for you." She pushed herself away as Snape came closer.
"Hermione, what I told you was the truth. I was only helping Draco with an assignment and nothing more. You have to trust me on this one. If you can't trust me with something like this, then we might as well not be together," he pleaded.
"How can you prove you didn't do it?" she asked.
"How can you prove that I did?" he asked her.
"Just the way I saw you tow when I walked in and when I saw that...that thing on his neck I just..."
"Jumped to conclusions," he finished for her.
"Severus, I'm sorry," she choked out as she began to cry. She put her hands over her face.
"It's alright, it's alright," he said, hugging her as they rocked back and forth under the trees.
They stayed out there for a while, listening to the surroundings of the lake. Suddenly, the sky became overcast and the wind began to pick up.
"Looks like there's a storm coming soon. We better go inside," Snape said. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek as he helped her up. They then went inside.
They stepped into his office and sat on his bed. They played a few games of "Go Fish," a card game that Hermione taught him a few nights before.