"Nice of you to join us." Ron said teasingly as I ran into the Potions room and broke my pace with Draco.

"Yea, Hermione. What happened to you all of yesterday?" Harry asked.

What should I say? Should I tell them?

"Tons of work. Plans for the Yule ball and Dumbledore wanted a full report." I lied. I had to lie. They probably wouldn't understand. Well maybe they would. Anyway, Swell told me to keep all this hush hush before my eighteenth birthday. Truth of the story being that after I regained my composure in my common room, Swell came up and we talked about what was going to happen from now on. My situation has changed. Although Voldemort is still down from the last defeat by none other than my good friend Harry Potter, his minions are still loyal to him. My heritage is not to be announced until after my eighteenth birthday when I have had all of my powers trained and perfected. Because if someone of the wrong sort finds out, Voldemort will be informed and I will be as good as captured without much knowledge of what I am fully capable of.

I must have been thinking about this for a while considering class had started around me when I came too. Both Harry and Ron were arguing over whether or not to add the luna stalks now or later.

"Hold it." I said putting my arm between them, they stopped instantly. "What potion are we trying to make?"

"Piccolo Potion." They said in unison.

"Piccolo potion..." I tapped my finger on my temple trying to remember the ingredients. "Did you already add the wolf hair?"

"No."

"Then put that in and stir for two minutes, then put in the luna stalks." Right after I had said this the doors at the back of the classroom burst open. Snape looked up from his desk disgruntled.

"Which Gryfindore is making all that racket?" He bellowed, standing up.

"Ah, still so biased Severeus." The voice came from Swell, who was stalking confidently up to the front of the room. She was dressed in yet another military suited outfit. This time with black pants and camouflage green short sleeve top accessorized with tons of badges and yet another pair of severely kick ass spiked heel boots, in black.

"Swell?" Snape asked seemingly in complete confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's not the friendly greeting I was hoping for, but it will just have to do." By the time she said that, the entire class forgot all about their potions and were curiously watching the action in the front of the room. Snape walked around his desk excitedly that he nearly stumbled on his long robe.

"Aw, come here." Snape said with a smile (if you think about it seeing Snape smile is pretty scary) Swell and Snape shared a friendly 'long time no see' hug in front of the entire 7th year Slytherian and Gryfindore population.

"How are you?" Snape asked seemingly not to care no one was working on the potion.

"Fine, and you, you like teaching?"

"Yea, you know I've always liked kids." Snape said seriously.

Sure, Snape likes kids, always had, You know it's just so obvious he loves all of us to bits! *spit*

"I heard." Swell said in a soft and caring manner. "I'm so sorry." Snape looked up as she touched his shoulder gently and smiled a little.

"It has been 9 years since it happened. I can't bring myself to..." Snape said with emotion in his voice but no emotion on his face.

"I understand. I'm staying here for a while to catch up with the past. You should come to tea tomorrow."

"Alright. Your staying in the guest hut right?" Swell nodded. "Is Toma here?"

"Yes, you two can play a little wizards chess while me and the girls gossip." Swell smiled back at Snape.

"Oh, was there something you came for or just a bit of chat?"

"Yes, actually I nearly forgot. I must see Hermione for a couple of minutes. Is that alright?"

"Anything for you Swell. Miss. Granger, go on." Snape said moving his hand in a gesture to follow Swell. The entire focus of the class was adverted to me.

Do they know?!

"Dear, calm down I just have something to give you." Swell whispered in my ear as we walked out of the classroom together.