The next few days drifted by quickly as preparations took up most of his time. Soon it was the first night dinner and with all the usual staff in place the new students flooded into the hall for sorting. Severus took little interest in the performance of the irritating hat. Its intrigue lost its sparkle after the fourteenth time. Once all the students had been sorted Albus stood up to make his usual speech. A happier one now, with the discontinued threat of Voldemort, but it was the announcement of the new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher that made Severus pay attention. He wondered what idiot would be taking the place this time.

At that moment, Albus smiled, and the doors to the great hall swung wide. In strode a woman with curly brown hair, swinging around her shoulders, her red and gold robes swirling around her. It was an entrance that even he was envious of.

It was then that he looked at her face, and she was looking right back at him, her eyes twinkling with adoration and respect. He felt his world start afresh and leaning on the table so as not to collapse, he stood up and started clapping her arrival.

The whole school, stunned for a moment by Snape's reaction, soon joined in the applause. Blushing, Hermione walked up the steps on to the stage, and Albus conjured her a seat to Severus' right. Severus caught Albus' eye, giving him a glare intending to transmit his anger at Albus' ambiguity about her whereabouts; all he got back was a small shrug and twinkle of the eye.

As they all sat down to eat, Hermione took his hand under the table and squeezed it. "Thank you," she said quietly, looking straight into his eyes, her look meaning more than words. He simply nodded. Questions flew into his mind, all threatening to spill out at once, but she had the first words, "I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at her food, "I couldn't stay away, not for this long." His questions had been answered; it had been her, all those times when he thought he'd been imagining it. He returned the squeeze on her hand, "thank you."