An/ Thanks for the reviews folks.  Like I said this story is for fun so it may not be the best.  As for the rather nasty review all I can say, if you don't like it, don't read it.  Fanfiction is for people to express their muses.  It is not for people to berate others ideas.  Constructive criticism is always welcomed, nastiness is not.

Hermione was sitting on a sofa in the Gryffindor common room when Ron and Harry sat down beside her. She glanced warily at the boys who each had put an arm around her shoulders, noting their mischievous grins. Closing her book she sighed, "Alright, what is it?"

Ron's grin widened as Harry spoke. "We have decided that you are working much too hard."

"And Valentines Day being this Sunday, we thought you needed a break," Ron added.

She narrowed her eyes. "What have you done?"

Both of the boys leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "You will find out soon enough," Ron teased.

"Ronald Weasley, you had better not be planning anything for me on Valentines Day.  You will regret it, I swear."

"Aw, come on Herms," Ron said, "you are spending way too much time on this project of yours.  We think you need a distraction."

"We are going into Hogsmeade Saturday," Harry began.

"Thanks, but I don't want to be a fifth wheel," Hermione replied.  She did not want to hang around with their dates.  Harry had been seeing Pavarti since the end of their sixth year and Ron had finally started dating her twin Padma. 

"Well, you won't exactly be a fifth wheel.  Not when there will be six." Ron teased.

"Oh no.  You didn't."

"We did.  Your date will be expecting you at The Three Broomsticks at 3pm Miss Granger.  Don't be late."

She punched Ron in the arm.  "I won't come."

"Please Hermione," Harry said, giving her a pleading look.  "It wont be any fun if you don't join us."

Hermione snorted. "If you cannot have 'fun' being with your dates, then I suggest you reexamine your choices."

"I think some persuasion is in order," Ron said grinning at Harry.

"Definitely." Harry agreed as they pounced, tickling Hermione.

After a few minutes of unmerciful tickling and laughter, Hermione had surrendered.  "Okay I give.  I will meet this person."  Meet, she thought, doesn't mean I have to stay.

****

Saturday afternoon Hermione was still going through books.  They had made little progress on the potion.  It was finally determined that the missing ingredient was blood, but what kind of blood?  Exhausting all the different types Severus had on hand, she was looking through a book of dark magic, looking for clues.  Maybe an outlawed type was what they needed.

Severus had gotten her the book though he wouldn't say where, emphasizing the need to keep it hidden.  That was easily done in her little room.  She rarely had visitors.  Ron and Harry were too involved with Quidditch and their current love interests. 

She groaned as she looked at her watched, 2pm.  "I have to get ready to meet them in Hogsmeade," she thought vaguely, not wanting to stop her research.  Hermione sorely missed the Saturday afternoons she had spent with Severus before Christmas.  This would have gone much faster if she could get his input.

Usually Severus and his wife were absent on the weekends.  This weekend she had seen them at the staff table at lunch and assumed it was his weekend to be on duty. She had smiled wryly thinking that it was ironic that he was stuck at Hogwarts on the so-called romantic day of the year.  Serves you right, she thought cattily.

Putting down the book she got up to change.  "I really don't want to do this Crooks," she said to the cat that was stretched out on the bed like a throw rug. "Look at me, I am definitely not the type the guys are interested in."  Crookshanks opened one big yellow eye and meowed. "See, even you agree, you chauvinist," she laughed.

Putting on a pair of jeans and a light blue jumper, she brushed her hair, sighing as it fuzzed back up.  She had bought styling gels and such to tame her hair for the ball, but didn't want to bother with it today. Looking skeptically at herself, she thought her eyes were a little too wide, the upturned nose a bit too small.  And forget the body she thought.  She had inherited her mother's petite frame. Barely 5 '5', she thought her breasts were a bit too large for her body as well as her full round hips. "Oh mom," she said ruefully, "why couldn't you be tall and willowy?"

Still, she wouldn't trade her mind for all the looks in the world.  It would be awful to exist only for a man anyway, she thought, deciding that romance just wasn't meant for her.

Picking up the book once more, she read through a section she had marked earlier.  "This is it!" she said excitedly causing Crookshanks to open both eyes and blink at his annoying human as he watched her race out of the room.

***

Rowena opened the door. "Sev, one of your little students wants to talk to you," she said disdainfully as she turned away from Hermione, not bothering to ask her in.

Severus came into the room and Hermione couldn't stop the little skip her heart made.  She hadn't seen him without his teacher's habit since the hols and it pained her to look at him now dressed in black trousers and a black silk shirt, his hair slightly damp.  Must have just gotten out of the bath, she thought before she could look away. 

"Miss Granger come in," he said, giving Rowena a scowl.  Rowena returned the scowl and went into the bedroom.

"Sorry to bother you Professor," Hermione said breathlessly, "but I think I found it!"  She thrust the book into his hands.  "Look at the this."

Reading about the potion she had marked, he smiled. 

The potion Infusco Insania causes the recipient of it to go mad.  It was a subtle, untraceable draught and had been outlawed by the Ministry since the early 1500's.  The ingredient responsible for this was Harpy's blood, also bannedThough it is a potion used to cause madness it is possible to use it to cure certain forms of madness.

"I do believe you may be right, Hermione."

Hermione was ecstatic that he agreed with her.  "How can we get Harpy's blood?"  she asked apprehensively. Surely they had not come this far only to run into a dead end.

"I have a contact that should be able to get this for us," Severus said, looking at her shining face.  Beautiful, he thought. He frowned slightly. "In fact, I will leave right now.  It may take him awhile to get his hands on the blood and I cannot owl him with the request as it is illegal."

"Oh, thanks so much Severus," Hermione said, the slip of his name going unnoticed because of her excitement. She glanced at her watch. "I have to go. Thanks again," she called as she left.

"Well, well," Rowena's voice broke through his thoughts. "Since when is it proper for a student to use her Professor's first name with such familiarity?"

Severus glared at her as he picked up his cloak and gloves.  "I am going out."

"What do you mean you are going out?" she said angrily.  "I thought we were stuck here because you had some sort of duty tonight?  And don't ignore me."

Severus gave her a sarcastic smile and left. 

Damn him. She stood there a moment and then ran after him. She caught up with him as he was heading out the doors in the entrance hall.

"Severus! Wait, don't you leave without telling me where you are going."

He turned to look at her, grimacing as her voice echoed in the large hallway.  Striding to intercept her, he grabbed her upper arm and dragged her into a corner by the door.

"How dare you run through the halls screaming like a shrew," he hissed softly. "Do you want the whole school to know our business?"

"I don't care," she glared at him, "and I want to know where you are going?  You said we couldn't go to the Morgan's party this evening because you had to stay here."

"I told you that you can go if you wish," he said exasperatedly, "and I do have to stay here this evening to patrol the halls, but that is after the students have dinner. As to were I am going now, it is none of your damn business my dear." He released her arm and went out the door.

Rowena felt like screaming.  How dare he treat her like an insolent child. 

"Rowena, are you alright?"

She turned to see Professors Sprout and McGonagall approaching her.  Evidentially they had heard her shouting at Severus.  Nosey biddies she thought, and then an idea struck her as she noticed their concerned faces.

"Yes everything is fine…" she sniffed and hid her face in her hands.

"Oh my dear." She felt an arm circle her shoulders. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just …Severus…"

"Rowena come with us.  We shall have some tea and you can tell us all about it," Minerva said kindly.

Rowena looked at them trying not to smile.  Exactly what I hoped you would say.

****

Hermione ran into the Three Broomsticks out of breath.  It was almost 3:30.  Bending over she gasped, trying to control her breathing. 

"Finally."  Ron was standing there, shaking his head. "Thought you were going to be a no show."

"Sorry, lost track of time," she panted.

"I know, you were reading.  Come on, he's still waiting for you," he said grinning at her.

Hermione followed him through the crowded room.  The bar was decorated in reds and pinks; roses were in vases on the tables as floating hearts drifted lazily across the room.  Several tables had been pushed together to accommodate the gang in the corner. 

"Well here she is." Ron pulled Hermione in front of him.  "Hermione, you know Terry Boot."

Hermione blushed.  Terry Boot was a seventh year Ravenclaw.  He was a little taller than she was with brown hair and blue eyes and a pleasant smile.  At least they had chosen someone she could have an intelligent conversation with.  Terry was among the top of the class in Charms and Ancient Runes.

"Hello," he said shyly.

"Hi, sorry I am late."

"No problem," he said, his face red as he offered her a stool.

Ron snickered and Padma kicked him under the table.  Harry winked at Hermione. Soon the six of them were talking and laughing and Hermione was glad she had came, glad to have something to take her mind off of a certain Potions Professor who no longer could be the object of her dreams.

***

Minerva poured tea and handed a cup to Rowena.  Pomona sat beside her patting her hand.

"So dear," Minerva urged, "what happened to upset you?"

Rowena kept her face down blinking fast. "Oh, it really isn't something I should be telling you.  Severus would be so angry…"

"That young man does have a temper," Pomona agreed.

Minerva gave her a look to be quiet. "Rowena whatever you say to us will remain between us."

I hope not. "Well, its just Severus is so, I mean, he…"she hid her face in her hands once more.

"He hasn't hit you, has he?" Pomona asked.

"No nothing like that," she said behind her hands, "I… think …there is another woman."

Minerva and Pomona exchanged shocked looks.

"Impossible," Minerva said firmly.  "Severus has never been one, well, to have many lady friends. I am sure it is just nerves, my dear.  He is a hard man to live with, that's all."

"No," Rowena sniffed, looking at her now, hoping her eyes were red after pressing them hard against her palms, "I have…oh, I shouldn't be telling you this..."

"Please do," Pomona said barely containing her curiosity.

"Well, he has mentioned her name during, well," she blushed, looking down at her hands.

Minerva cleared her throat. "I am sure that happens to men from time to time.  It was probably a woman he knew a long time ago."

"I thought so at first, but when I questioned him about it he grew very angry."

Pomona and Minerva looked at her with sympathy.  They knew all about Severus' anger from working with him these past years.

"And since I have been here, at the school, I ..." she sniffed again, " realize who she is."

"Who?" Pomona asked.

Rowena shook her head.  "I cannot say.  I mean if I were mistaken, which I am afraid I am not, I don't want to sully anyone's name."

"Is it someone in Hogsmeade?" Minerva asked.  That would explain why they had been so reluctant to find a place to live there.  Dumbledore was being to think he would have to evict them to get her out of Severus' chambers.

"No," Rowena sighed deeply, "she is... at Hogwarts."

Rowena was careful to hide her smile as she took a sip of tea.  The two older women look like they were about to burst.  She knew they couldn't wait for her to leave so they could discuss the possibilities. 

Sorry Hermione dear if you happen to become the target of this rumor, she thought. If I cannot get Severus to quit I guess I will just settle for getting him fired.

She had thought she could change his mind about wanting to stay at Hogwarts to teach when they had discussed it before the wedding.  After all, she was use to convincing men to do anything for her. First she had hinted, stroking his ego about how beneath him it was to be a lowly professor.  When that didn't work she thought she could badger him into quitting.  Still nothing.

Her father was growing very impatient with her.  Severus had stopped giving her money to go shopping with after she had came back with very little to show for what he had given her.  Of course she had passed it on to her father.  Instead of giving her money to spend, he had set up accounts for her in all the stores of the Wizarding community.  Damn the man.

Rowena had placated her father by telling him if she could convince Severus to give up this silly job he would be more relaxed, more trusting.  She wanted to travel, to live in luxury anyway.  Severus was very wealthy according to her father, at least his family was, and Rowena was sure he access to said fortune.  

One way or another my dear, she thought smugly.  Now all she had to do was sit back and watch.