A/N: Thank you reviewers. Your support has been most encouraging.

Chapter 2

A Gryffindor. Severus was destined to be with Gryffindor. Who would've thought that? Then again, he would have to have someone brave enough to stand up to him and as stubborn as he is. Sometime, matchmaking can be very, very entertaining.

Oh, you thought that once his 'significant other' was found that I would just wave my wand and they would live happily ever after? I think not. Where's the entertainment value in that? That happily ever after is so cliché and not to mention boring. Besides, I can't do that, and I certainly wouldn't even if I could. I just have the knowledge of what should be. I don't have any amazing ability to make it so. I usually have to resort to good, old-fashioned manipulation. What else are Slytherin genes good for? Ironically, you could describe me as a cat playing with her prey.

For its irrelevance until now, I have neglected to tell you that I am a professor at Oxford University of Magic. A Potion Mistress to be more specific. Potions seems to run in the family. My class is the hardest available. Thus, only the truly masochistic dare enter my domain.

It was in my classroom that I actually met Hermione Granger. I had heard about her from Minerva throughout her entire school career at Hogwarts and even in the years after. Minerva would've adopted her if she could've. From what I learned about her before I met her, she seemed like a Minerva in-training. Minerva was disappointed and shocked when she majored in Potions instead of Transfiguration or even Charms. It was in her sixth and final year at the university that she found her way to my door. With her intellect and studious nature, it still took her six years to even reach the possibility of mistress status. Does that tell you anything?

In all the years that I heard about her, she didn't seem to be of particular importance. Then last semester her presence graced my classroom and my gift dropped by. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I amused? Thoroughly.

Severus' 'lady love' was Hermione Granger. I bet the suspense was killing you. I said she was a Gryffindor, and who have I been talking about? Who else could she be? This isn't the brewing of the Wolfsbane Potion or human transfiguration.

Once her identity was revealed the problem was making them see the truth. Would they do so voluntarily? No. Of course, it's more fun if they don't cooperate. Albus was very helpful in this instance. I swear the man has every bloody wizarding law memorized. How was that helpful? Albus found a way that legally bound Severus to our plan. Perhaps, the legal system isn't always useless.

I bet you're wondering how I am going to be able to tell you this story if I wasn't there to see it all. Good question. Two words can answer that: Animagus and Pensieve. Albus was kind enough to donate a Pensieve to the cause. He even went as far as have the bowl decorated with the colors of Slytherin and Gryffindor. It was really quite pretty with the colors appearing to constantly swirl and rotate around the bowl. He wanted to make sure that all the memories acquired were available for later viewing.

The Animagus thing takes a little more to properly explain it. I told you long ago that I am a cat Animagus, but, unlike Minerva, I never registered. For this reason, I have been able to do various missions around Hogwarts unsuspected. To make everyone even for unsuspecting, Minerva established me as her cat. I did all this long before I even knew about Severus and Miss Granger, but it still provided the perfect cover during my meddling.

During the latter part of the war, Severus had several bouts of depression. It was hardly surprising with all that he had to go through. Due to this, Dumbledore became increasingly worried and requested that I serve as his keeper. The various missions I was involved in usually involved me keeping track of Severus. I didn't go to any Dark Revels, but I would follow him around the castle. Dumbledore was clever enough to create passageways that would allow my Animagus form to sneak into Severus' private chambers and classroom to observe and check on him without his knowledge. We all feared he might choose to end it all. It was unlikely, but always a possibility.

I was glad he was occupied during the day with his classes, as was I. I didn't have to worry about him until evening, when he had time to contemplate things. Eventually, he caught me sneaking around his chambers. Surprisingly, he didn't throw me out. He instead chose to talk to me. I became his confidant. Desperate people will reach out to anything, I suppose. I began to just lounge around and listen to him. Anything to keep him from attempting suicide. Finally, the war ended and risk went down, but I kept up the occasional visits on the weekends when I came to see Minerva just to keep him from getting suspicious. I am sure he questioned my presence in the beginning, but I think he was at the point of not caring. As you will soon see, my role as also confidant had later uses.

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The plan. In their final year of university education, students must present a thesis. Said thesis is then used as partial basis for the decision to award the credentials they are trying to achieve. During the first semester, they take the last of their class requirements, research their thesis, and they begin looking for a tutor that has experience in the area pertaining to their thesis. During the second semester, the students explore their thesis further under the supervision and advice of their tutor.

Now, the dear Miss Granger chose an interesting and convenient topic: a cure for lycanthropy. As Minerva suggested, she was probably driven by her Gryffindor nature to play the heroine to her friend, Remus Lupin. As for its convenience, there are only three Potions Masters that have experience with lycanthropy. Any scholars out there guess whom one of those three might be? If you guessed Severus Snape, then Albus Dumbledore will be happy to owl you a year's supply of lemon drops. He has to get rid of them somehow. For those of you that don't know, Severus is the one that brews the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus Lupin.

Miss Granger had two of the three masters contacted by the end of the first month of class. She obviously hoped to avoid Severus. Too bad. One is an ex-boyfriend and the other is an old friend of Albus' that shares his interest in chamber music. Yes, I do have ex-boyfriends. My gift doesn't extend to myself. I miss him in particular. He was an excellent test subject for some of the more delectable things I brewed. Luckily, we parted on good terms after I found his mate.

An owl sent from Hogwarts and another from Oxford ensured that the Potions Masters wouldn't accept her request. Left with only one option, she was forced to owl Severus.

Care to venture as to what his answer was? That's where Albus' extensive legal knowledge came in.

Thanks to Albus' Pensieve, I can give you a detailed description of what happened.

A/N: And the bunny keeps hopping. Please review and tell me if you like it.