Many thanks to JKR as always for setting everything up. Apologies again for the long silence, but it's hard to write when you're translating too much and going to work almost everyday. Thanks especially to Reive for all the conversations.

Life went on, much as it always had at Hogwarts. The halls resounded with the triumphs and disappoints of students, both academic and personal. This year an unprecedented Hufflepuff victory over Gryffindor at Quidditch has upset the entire season, and had the Weasley twins demanding a rematch. Cassandra Daniels, the quiet Hufflepuff Seeker responsible for this controversy, merely shrugged and smiled when asked how she managed the maneuver that helped her beat Potter on the field.

The Quidditch upset was good for Hana Hooch. It meant the students redoubled their training efforts and she was in demand for extra lessons and coaching. Everyone wanted to know how Cassandra had pulled off that move, and even Hooch was impressed. It wasn't often that someone came up with something on the spot like that, and she made sure to spend more time training the Hufflepuff Seeker. The girl had great potential and Hana wanted to make sure she reached for it. IF nothing else, this had proven that Hufflepuffs could shine as well as anyone else.

Some days though, it felt like she spent more time in the air than on the ground. Today she felt tired and in need of a long bath as she walked back from the fields.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for not respecting your elders, Mr. Potter and if you don't stop now it will be detention with Filch as well," Severus snapped, holding his hand up as a warning.

"I know you're hiding something Snape!" Potter's voice was sharp and almost shrill, and it gave Hana a chill to hear it from around the corner.

She walked down the corridor, to where a frantic Hermione Granger and a pale-faced Ron Weasley were desperately trying to pull Harry away from the Potions Master. To his credit, Snape had not raised his voice more than normal and appeared almost calm. Almost if one didn't look too closely at his eyes.

"Mr. Potter, you really don't have to shout in here, you know." Hooch laid a hand on the struggling boy's shoulder and felt the tension in him.

"Professor Hooch, we tried to calm him but…"

"It's alright Hermione," Hana interrupted. "Why don't you all go down and visit Hagrid? Dumbledore's given him permission to bring in some new beast for the Care of Magical Creatures class." Harry gazed at her a little sadly before allowing his friends to sweep him off. Her keen hearing caught Ron's last whispered bit of conversation.

"I'd rather face whatever monsters Hagrid's got than Snape any day."

Turning back to the dour figure in black, she cocked an eyebrow but remained silent as the footsteps faded away.

"I suppose you will want an explanation, though I hardly need to thank you for saving me from Harry Potter," Snape grumbled.

"I said nothing."

"Well." He smoothed the front of his robes and regarded her with his customary coolness. Sunlight dappled the stone at their feet, and it was quiet even to Hana's ears.

"What was Harry trying to find out from you?" she finally asked.

"Oh he thinks I have some big secret to hide. I don't know where he would have gotten that idea."

"If you are implying that I said anything to Harry..."

"I suppose not. The boy is hung up on finding out about his parents and all their secrets. For some reason he keeps coming back to me. As if I'm an answer key!" His laugh was bitter.

"You knew his parents?" She was truly curious now.

"Yes, yes," sighed Snape. "We all went to Hogwarts. Can't ever get away from that."

It shocked her a little to be having such a conversation after the glacial silence between them, but she kept still for fear of breaking the moment.

"I knew James and Lily. How could you not? They were the Great Romance of their time. I used to see them sneaking out at night together, trying to wrap themselves in that cloak of his."

She watched his eyes unfocused backwards, to a younger world.

"Lucius once said something spiteful to Lily, some ridiculous adolescent insult at the time. It was during breakfast. Potter cleared two tables to get at him, and it took six professors and all the prefects to break up the fighting. Because, of course, any fight between Gryffindor and Slytherin tends to turn into a riot if left unattended."

His grin was slightly feral as he recalled the morning. Hooch snorted.

"Were you involved?"

"Me? No, I wasn't raised to engage in brawls like that."

"I suppose the son of Aurelius Snape was brought up as a proper gentleman." She eyed him in a slightly mocking manner, one hand on her hip. He responded with a sarcastic smirk and a half nod.

"So how do gentlemen fight? When you're not just murdering for the company of friends and sport, that is."

"Not with women who don't know what they are getting themselves into," he replied very quietly.

"What more is there to know about you Severus? Do you have even more terrible secrets?"

"Why do you insist on discovering if I have secrets or not woman?"

"Perhaps it just amuses me to no end."

Before she finished speaking, Snape had pushed her up against the wall, both hands on her shoulders. His black eyes never left hers and he leaned in close to her.

"This amuses you, does it? Would it amuse you even more to play this game with fewer rules, Hana?" His voice was soft, silken in her ear.

"What rules would we keep?" She fought to keep her hands from trembling.

"That everything that happens stays between us," he murmured. "No unforgivable curses, Nothing so damaging that we need Poppy or Albus's intervention."

"Alright." Her mouth was dry.

"We can start tonight, if you like," answered Snape, dropping his hands and stepping back slightly.

Hooch nodded without speaking. Severus glanced away from her, and in that second she reacted. Her fist connected with his jaw in a very painful way, and the blow staggered him.

"It's not very gentlemanly to push ladies around," she said calmly, shaking her hand a little as she walked away.