A/N: Apologies for this chapter being late as the arrival of CoS to my local cinemas has been distracting! I have been to it twice so far and I love it. OK, so it's Filch who catches Harry & Ron at the beginning instead of Snape, but after watching the duel scene I'm willing to forgive the director.

Beth Ann - Thanks, I hope you like this chapter (see, I did promise to update this weekend!)

eriu - I was tempted to spin it out before S/H got back together but Sev threatened me with nasty curses if I wrote it like that g.

Evening Star - Thanks - I'm not sure where the plot bunny for Sirius settling down came from, but it seemed the right thing to do.

Goddess-Isis-112, Hexmeisterin, Luna Writer, Marston Chicklet, RoseFyre, snapefan51 - Thanks!

gorgegirl - Don't worry...

Logospilgrim - Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I must warn you I have been nicknamed Queen of the Evil Cliffhangers looks sheepish.

Zoe - Thanks, I'm trying to keep Sev in character.





Part 19

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry. "I'm surprised that you're not there with your godfather..supporting him....telling him what you saw, perhaps?" he continued in the same tone of soft malice.

Harry looked uncomfortable but didn't look away. "I came to see how Hermione was - has there been any change?" he said quietly.

"No," Severus said curtly, continuing to watch Harry. The thunder had ceased outside but rain continued to fall, beating harshly against the diamond-paned windows of the sickbay.

Harry flushed and then sat down on the edge of a bed beside Hermione, his demeanour awkward. "I didn't..intentionally spy on you both tonight but when I saw you uh, together, I didn't know what to do. So I went to see Sirius."

Professor Snape's thin mouth twisted. "I see. What a touching confession...so you immediately went to relate how...unnatural and disgusting you thought it was to him?"

"No," Harry said softly.

"I find that hard to believe," Professor Snape started to retort but Harry dared to interrupt him. "I said you both looked..happy."

Surprised into silence, Professor Snape blinked and stared at him.

Harry continued. He thought this had to be the strangest conversation he had ever had with the professor who had been the bane of his school life through the years. "Sirius thought you had cast some spell over her. He said that you had tried to seduce her at Christmas and then cast her aside...that she would be better off with Ron."

Severus opened his mouth to snap a reply when Hermione stirred slightly and mumbled something under her breath. His eyes widening, Severus turned to look at Hermione, his hand instinctively reaching out to her while Harry half-rose from where he was sitting.

But it was only a false alarm, for the brief struggle back to consciousness had not been strong enough to rouse her, and the two wizards saw with dismay Hermione subside back into her comatose state.

Professor Snape's shoulders slumped slightly, much of his temper fading and he looked weary. Then he stared at Harry grimly, his words rapid and quietly fierce. "Listen to me Potter - Hermione broke up with Weasley herself. I had nothing to do with that. But she is the part of me I'd never realised I'd missed - can you understand something like that, boy? She came back to me and I swore I would never hurt her again, so if Sirius tells me I have some sort of evil hold over her I will take his wand and ram it down his lying throat!"

Harry couldn't think of anything to reply to that, and Professor Snape didn't expect a reply, turning to gaze again at Hermione. But there was a faint thawing in the professor's attitude when Harry got up and sat on the other side of Hermione's bed in silent vigil. He felt in his heart that Professor Snape was telling the truth.

"I heard there had been an accident?" came the calm words of Dumbledore, whom Severus and Harry realised was standing there in the doorway of the sickbay. Harry got to his feet out of respect while Severus stayed where he was, though he nodded curtly at the headmaster, his mentor..who was looking gravely back at him. An assessing glance, almost as if Severus was being weighed, and perhaps found wanting.

Inwardly Severus flinched. He would never admit it, but the good opinion of Dumbledore meant a lot to him, for the headmaster had for a while been the only one to believe his repudiation of Voldemort was genuine.

"I have heard various accounts of how young Hermione had ended up at the bottom of your stairs, Severus," Dumbledore said mildly as he approached the bed.

"I have no idea why she fell Headmaster," Severus asserted in an even voice.

"Hmm," Dumbledore nodded to himself as he peered down at Hermione.

"She nearly woke up before," Harry quickly informed Dumbledore, who nodded again in approval. "She has a strong spirit that does not accept setbacks easily. Nor do I think she is one to be easily coerced as has been suggested," Dumbledore murmured.

Professor Snape said nothing, but Harry saw his pale hand tighten upon the blanket, and then forcibly relax.

Dumbledore continued. "However, there are matters that need to be cleared up so I must ask you Severus, to come back to my office with me."

There was a shuttered, closed look on Professor Snape's face and his voice was tight. "Very well." He rose to his feet, his black robes cascading restlessly about him as he did so, and he gave Harry a quick look that could have meant anything. But Harry realised what it was. "I'll stay and watch over Hermione," he said quietly, and there was a brief flicker of - approval? - in the black eyes before the professor left the room with Dumbledore without a backward glance.

There was no conversation between Severus and Dumbledore on the way to the headmaster's office, and behind his impassive face Professor Snape's thoughts were racing furiously. How many half-truths and outright lies had Sirius told Dumbledore? Dumbledore had quietly made it known to Severus that he was always available for a talk when necessary, that he was there to listen - but in this case who would he listen to - Severus or Sirius?

Severus had felt triumph when Potter had admitted to spying on him and Hermione, the sneak, but he was surprised that Harry had shown more..tolerance than was expected. Admittedly Severus had been secretly concerned that there might be a backlash against Hermione when things came to light. Hermione..he found himself praying to any merciful gods who could hear that she would wake soon.

For once the headmasters in their respective portraits in Dumbledore's office were all awake, tugging at their beards and peering down through their spectacles at the wizards below. There was a triumphant smirk on the face of Sirius as he sprawled in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, while Remus in his chair had a grave expression on his face when Severus and Dumbledore walked in.

"Has Hermione awakened?" Remus asked Severus quietly. Severus narrowed his eyes at him. "No," he replied curtly.

"I'm sorry," Remus said sincerely.

Dumbledore sat down at his desk, waving at Severus to sit down; which he did stiffly. Fawkes on his perch nearby watched the proceedings with interest in his young-old eyes.

The headmaster looked at all three wizards gravely. "Tonight serious allegations regarding the nature of a relationship going on between Severus and young Hermione have been brought to my attention. I believe that matters may be resolved successfully without turning it over to the Ministry of Magic, but in order to do this successfully, certain measures must be taken. Severus, would you drink this please?"

Dumbledore nodded at a small crystal goblet that glittered soberly on his desk. It was filled with water that bobbed about gently as the goblet levitated from Dumbledore's desk and floated over to Severus, who stared at it, the frown lines on his face deepening. Upon seizing the goblet he gave it an interrogative sniff, but that gesture was unnecessary for he sensed what had been added to the water. He felt a mixture of betrayal, anger and humiliation rise within him.

Veritaserum, the potion that compelled the truth from those who drank it, was what he was required to drink...