Chapter Two

Albus Dumbledore sighed and gazed out of the window. In his entire career as head teacher, he had never had to come between two members of staff, but Cornelius Fudge and his team of inspectors had noticed that Professors Snape and McGonagall were spending too much time together. He had no choice but to come between them.

A soft knock on the door announced that Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall had arrived.

"Come in." Dumbledore called. Both the teachers arrived; Snape was wearing a pair of glasses. "I have something very important to say." He sat down and indicated to Snape and McGonagall to do the same. "I'm sorry to have to say this but I want your relationship to end." They starred at Dumbledore.

"Why?" Minerva McGonagall asked softly.

"Cornelius Fudge has noticed something. He has informed me and ordered me to tell you to break it off. You are breaking the school rules."

"Headmaster, does that matter if the pupils haven't suspected anything?" Snape asked gingerly.

"I'm afraid it does. You and Minerva need to break off your relationship."

"You can't make us do that!" McGonagall shouted at him

"I can, and I have to. I am really sorry, if Fudge hadn't noticed then I would be more than happy to allow your relationship to continue."

"Don't feelings matter to Cornelius Fudge?" Snape turned and left the room.

"Obviously not." Dumbledore replied as the door shut behind Snape.

"Do you realise what you may have done?"

"No?" Dumbledore was confused

"You've upset him a lot. How do you think he'll feel now?" Minerva had asked a very good question.

"I had to do it," he said disappointedly. "I did not want this to happen just as much as you!"

"No you did not!" shouted Professor McGonagall furiously. "You don't know what our relationship meant!"

"I know! I'm terribly sorry,"

There was an awkward silence.

A loud knock made them jump.

The door opened and in burst Hagrid.

"Sir! Harry Potter, e's had an accident!" he spluttered hastily. E's fallen off is broom! E's broken is righ' arm an is lef' leg."

"Oh dear!" Dumbledore's day was getting slowly worse. "This is were I leave you Minerva." He followed Hagrid out of his office and up to the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall stood on her own for a moment and then left Dumbledore's office feeling incredibly upset.

She had not really loved before, now that she did, she never wanted to let go. Her dreams of having a proper family had faded from her mind. She walked solemnly back to her office, trying not to think about what had happened in Professor Dumbledore's office. She felt all alone and afraid.

* * *

Severus Snape sat alone in his office. Tears rolled down his thin sallow face; he made no attempt to disguise his anguish. He had found a woman he truly loved, but now that love had been shattered. A loud knock disturbed his thoughts, one of the school inspectors from OFFMAGIC; the school inspection committee entered the room.

"Professor Snape? We need to talk to you about your" The young inspector began.

"Now really isn't the time." Snape replied.

"You can't actually speak to me" The inspector noticed the tears rolling down Snape's face. "I understand." He walked out of the office.

* * *

"Professor Dumbledore, I have a complaint about one of your teachers. A Professor Severus Snape." Inspector Arthur Candis said as he stepped into Dumbledore's office.

"Ah." Dumbledore replied putting down his quill.

"He seems quite upset, something which a teacher mustn't be."

"I do have the explanation. His sister's just died, he has every reason to be upset." Dumbledore made up.

"I see, that makes sense. I shall be speaking to you and your staff at the end of the week." Candis left. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. He had not meant to upset Snape that much. He had to intervene otherwise they would have both been sacked or even worse transferred! That was something he could not stand, Snape may not be a very popular teacher but he was a good one. McGonagall was a popular teacher and good teacher and even better deputy head.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall sat alone in her office. She felt terrible; today had been a very bad day for her. A soft knock at the door brought her back to earth.

"Come in." She called. Hermione Granger came in looking slightly worried.

"Miss," She stammered.

"What is it?" McGonagall asked a nicely as she could under the circumstances.

"Harry's broom. He's broken it, there's a potion that can mend brooms."

"There is indeed. However I do not know how to make it."

"Professor Snape would."

"He would indeed, go and ask him."

"Miss"

"You're afraid of him? Come with me." McGonagall was used to students being afraid of Snape.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall knocked on Severus Snape's door; there was no answer. She was slowly getting worried.

"Wait here." She said, pushing Snape's office door open slowly. She walked in. All the lights were off. Maybe he is in bed. She said to herself. She opened Snape's bedroom door open, thankfully she saw Snape's figure lying in the bed.

"Severus!" She shook him. He woke up suddenly; his eyes were red from crying. "It's all right." She gave him a hug. He looked up her and kissed her on the lips. They stayed together for about five minutes, their lips pressed together.

They pulled apart when Hermione Granger gave a small cough from the doorway.

"You tell anyone and you're dead and I mean that!" Snape definitely sounded like he meant it.

"Sir, if you make the broomstick repair potion we may be open to negotiation." Hermione worked it out. If she promised not to tell than Snape would make the potion for her.

"Very well." He turned to McGonagall.

Snape turned to Hermione, "now Miss Granger about the potion, meet me in the Potion lab at seven o'clock tomorrow evening."

* * *

Hermione Granger waited outside the cold potion laboratory. They had never been in the laboratory only the dungeons; this was going to be an experience to remember.

"Miss Granger?" A tall thin woman asked.

"Yes." Hermione replied.

"Professor Snape asked me to meet you and get started." She unlocked the door and pushed it open. This room was a large dungeon with benches covered in Potion bottles and ingredients. "I'm Dr Sciene, the Potions technician." They had a potions technician?

"Technician?"

"Yes, I work with Professor Snape getting the ingredients ready for the classes, that's if you need certain ingredients, you know the kind you don't get in your basic potions supply?" This woman was a lot more cheerful than Snape, why couldn't she teach the potions classes?

"Why don't you teach?"

"I don't want to. I prefer making the Potions and preparing the ingredients to telling people about the potions."

"How come we never see you round the castle?" Hermione asked as Dr. Sciene began collecting ingredients and placing them on the bench.

"I only work Monday to Friday. After three, o'clock Professor Snape has to work on his own I go to my home in Hogsmede. I did used to stay in the castle, but that was until I was married."

"Where is Professor Snape?"

"Watching Professor Flitwick's detention class, he should be here shortly." Hermione did not know that Professor Flitwick gave detentions. She put that thought to the back of her mind and began to prepare the ingredients that Dr Sciene handed to her.

Hermione and Dr Sciene had been working for over twenty minutes when Professor Snape arrived.

"Ah, Severus good of you to join us."

"Sorry, Professor Flitwick wanted to thank me. Can you work on your own for another couple of minutes?" Snape asked.

"Why? If I may ask?"

"You may certainly. I'm busting to go to the loo, I see you in a minute." He left the lab once more.

"I bet he's gone to see his girlfriend." Hermione said bitterly. She hated the idea of Professor McGonagall and Snape involved with each other, it was disgusting. However, Hermione was wrong, Snape appeared a moment later, he had been to quick to have seen McGonagall.

"Good you have the ingredients prepared." They set about mixing the ingredients and brewing them for over two hours. Sweat poured down Hermione's face as she worked in the sweltering atmosphere.

* * *

Almost four hours after starting the potion was complete.

"The instructions are as follows. A measured amount of the potion is applied to the broken object once every four hours over a period of three weeks. After it has been mended the object must be taken to the charms room for the finally spell to placed on it."

Severus Snape leaned back on the bench and wiped the sweet out of his eyes. The things he had to do to keep his relationship a secret, things were getting two hard, he made up his mind they would have to break it off.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall sat alone in her office marking third year homework, but she could not concentrate. Today she had been seen by a pupil kissing Severus Snape, thankfully he had been able to make a deal to keep her quiet, but it was getting to hard for them to keep it a secret. If from the pupils, it was going to be impossible to keep it from Albus Dumbledore. She made up her mind; they would have to break it off.

She walked quickly out of her office and down into the dungeons where Professor Snape had his office. She raised her hand and hesitated. Was she right in breaking the relationship off? Was it fair on him or her for that matter? She knocked.

"Come in." Snape called she entered. "Minerva!" He said in surprise. This was the first time since Snape had started teaching at Hogwarts that he had called her by her first name!

"Severus we need to talk."

"I know." He replied, he indicated to a chair opposite his desk. She sat down.

"It isn't working anymore, its getting far to risky."

"I know."

"I think we should"

"Before you say it there is a way we can continue our relationship." Snape interrupted. "I'll leave the school and work at Merlyn's, that way we can continue to go out together without risking anything."

"No, I don't want you to leave. I think it is best that we break it off." Snape fell silent and looked solemnly at his hands.

"I agree." He mumbled. What did he say? When he mumbled his Welsh accent made it hard to understand.

"What?"

"I agree that we should break it off."

"I'll inform Dumbledore." She got up and left the room, she felt terrible.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore looked over the report that Fudge had given him. It was extremely good, although there was room for improvement in some areas. Potions especially, he made a mental note to speak to Severus Snape. There was a knock at his door.

"Come in!" He called. Minerva McGonagall walked in. "Minerva sit down, sit down."

"I won't if you don't mind." She sounded determined and there was a fierce sound in her Scottish accent. "Severus and I have broken our relationship off. I hope you are happy."

"No I am not happy, I do not like upsetting people." Dumbledore had, had almost a bad week. "I am sorry about what happened."

"No you're not! Just so we don't get a bad report!"

"Minerva, no!" He stood up. "I am truly sorry." She broke down in tears.

"No you're not." She sobbed.

"Oh, Minerva I'm sorry." He put his arms round her, he was truly sorry. He felt dreadful for breaking off the relationship between two staff members. There was nothing he could do to stop his own tears rolling down his cheeks. "I am so sorry." Acting on some kind of impulse, he kissed her.

There was another knock at the door; it went un-noticed by Dumbledore or McGonagall, they stood their lips locked in a deep, emotional kiss. Severus Snape pushed open the door, he stood looking at the two, and he turned away, tears rolling down his face and closed the door softly behind him.

He ran as fast as he could back to his office. He did not even stop to say sorry to Remus Lupin as he ran in to him and caused him to drop the books he was carrying.

He reached his office and slammed the door behind him. He lost control of his emotions, slid down the back of the door, shrank to the floor, his head in his hands, and sobbed uncontrollably.