Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. See Chapter 1 for full disclaimer. Author's Notes at the end.
Warning: This fic is SS/HG and includes character death, descriptions of abuse, and adult situations.

Cloak of Courage
WendyNat

Chapter 7

~~~~~~~

Silence reigned in the room as Snape stared at her without speaking for long moments. His black eyes watched her fidget… those eyes, so knowing, so calculating… finally she couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "How did you know?"

He sat back with a satisfied look on his face. "As I thought. Where are they?" When she didn't answer a frown creased his brow. "The books, Hermione. I'm assuming Krum sent you some… shall we say… light reading material? There is no other source that you could have acquired them from… when I began here as a professor I combed the library thoroughly, removing those tomes detailing offensive Dark spells."

She looked down at her hands and noticed the remains of the teacup on the floor. Pulling out her wand with a shaking hand, she whispered, "Reparo." The shards reformed themselves and she leaned over to pick up the now-pristine cup. "Yes. Viktor sent me some books," she said simply.

"I see," he said casually, taking a sip of his tea. Any observer would assume, by his manner, that they were discussing some bland topic… like the weather. "Where are they? I need to know which texts you have been exposed to, Hermione."

"They're… they're in the trunk, in the bedroom. And…"

"Yes?"

She wasn't sure whether to respond at first… how would he react? Then, she remembered the feeling she had had yesterday when she realized that she was being… drawn… to the books. And those books were nothing like the one still hidden in her room… Swallowing hard, she raised her eyes to look at him. "There's… there's one more. It… there's something about it… I didn't even really want to touch it. He sent it just a couple of days ago, after the others. It's probably still in the place I hid it in, in the Head Girl's rooms."

"What book is it?" his voice was urgent as he put the teacup down, though his face was expressionless.

"I'm not entirely sure… I opened it once, but I… I felt… something wrong… I shut it, then hid it away. I haven't taken it out since," she said, trembling slightly and averting her eyes from his intense gaze. "I think it's… more advanced than the other ones Viktor sent me. I don't know… it… I think it was written in blood." She flicked her eyes back to his face when she heard an almost inaudible gasp, but once again his expression was completely neutral, betraying none of his inner thoughts. "I… I thought, at any rate, I should read the… simpler texts… first, and leave the more um… detailed spells for when I met Viktor."

"A logical idea," Snape said, still staring at her with an unreadable look. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Sometime today you will need to show me the books. All of them." She nodded mutely. "And now – I ask again. How far have you studied?"

"Not very far, I only read. I mean, I haven't practiced any of the spells or incantations… not even the wand movements. I didn't dare." She had been terrified at the prospect, to tell the truth. Whereas a mistake with simple charm could result in an impressive display of smoke, a mistake with one of the dark curses… she shuddered involuntarily at the thought. No, she hadn't wanted to risk it. It was one reason she had decided to seek out Viktor, to teach her… some things weren't safe to learn on your own, without a mentor.

This path you wish to follow… it will not bring you what you seek.

"I see." He paused for a moment, watching her intently. Finally, he said, "Have you experienced any strange… side effects? Nausea? Illness?"

She was honestly confused at this, and shook her head. "No. Why-"

"You must tell me, if at any time you do," he demanded. She nodded uncertainly. "There is great danger here for you, Hermione."

"I know… I know what you told me the other evening. I haven't practiced anything, honestly. I've only read… that's got to be safe enough, or no one would be able to teach DADA, right?" He simply watched her silently, his black eyes growing darker, and she began to feel nervous. "Professor… Severus… what's wrong? I mean, Professor Lupin – for instance – he has to have studied the Dark Arts, at least read the spells, to teach the class. And he's not a Dark wizard. Right?"

He shook his head, smiling bitterly. "Unfortunately, in this your logic fails you, Hermione. Yes, Lupin studied it. For years, in fact, as any good Defense Against the Dark Arts Master would do. And he was never affected." He paused for a moment, then, staring at the flames dancing in the fireplace.

Hermione was loath to interrupt his musing, but she pulled her courage around her and asked, "Why wasn't he affected?"

Snape sighed and turned back to face her, his eyes tired. "Intent, Hermione. Intent." He picked up a fork from his empty plate and played with it idly, turning it in his long fingers. "You intended to use the spells… the Dark – it senses your intent. Lupin, on the other hand, did not intend to use the spells, only to learn their Defense."

Hermione's mouth fell open. "The Dark… is it… is it sentient? That doesn't make sense." It was insane, actually. But Severus was already shaking his head, causing a lock of limp black hair to fall across his cheek. He pushed it back absentmindedly before he answered her.

"No, not sentient… that's not quite the correct term. It has will, but little else. More will than basic magic does. It is more a… a manifestation of desire, anger, fear…" Seeing her confused look, he blew out an irritated breath. "Hermione, wizarding philosophers have argued over this for thousands of years. There are numerous volumes debating the nature of it, if you wish to explore them. I, myself, have never read a theory that I truly think covers the nature of the Dark. It is not sentient, true, but it has an energy, a will… When I said it was seductive… the seduction is not all in your mind. There is an external force to contend with. Something in addition to the Call of the Blood which, in and of itself, is quite substantial enough."

"The what?"

Black eyes stared at her keenly and she straightened her spine to return the gaze evenly. "It is the true danger of studying the Dark Arts. It is… rarely discussed. Very few people outside of the followers of the Dark are even aware of its existence. A… user… who has studied the Dark Arts in-depth, who has the intent of using the spells, who has read one of the books of the Blood-" at this, she gasped, and he watched her gravely, nodding slightly "-will eventually fall under the Call of the Blood."

She began to shake slightly, her face going cool as the blood drained from it. The Call of the Blood… was that what she had felt the day before, when the books called to her… when she unconsciously answered? But… those books weren't books of the Blood… the one in her room… Oh, Gods… Viktor sent me a book of the Blood? That was blood that it was written in, then…What have I gotten myself into?  

"Hermione…" his voice sounded far away as she grappled with her fear. A little louder, "Hermione." Still, she just stared blankly at the table, her fists clenched in her lap. Finally, in the voice he reserved for lectures and grabbing the attention of misbehaving students, she heard him pronounce, "MISS GRANGER."

Seven years of habit caused her to respond immediately. "I'm… I'm sorry, Professor."

"Do relax yourself. I do not believe the Call has taken hold of you, though you do well to fear it." Snape watched her seriously. "The reaction illness normally lasts almost a week before it fades… before it-" he stopped suddenly.

"Before it what, Severus?" she asked softly.

Instead of answering her, he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, gazing at her over them with narrowed eyes. "The Call of the Blood, Hermione, is the true danger of the Dark Arts. As it is not in most people's natures to accept the Call, the body… the soul, if you will, attempts to reject it, to purge the body of the foulness. Thus, the illness sets in. Nausea, vomiting, completely uncontrollable with the standard magical remedies. There are a very few who are born with it as part of their nature – or, rather, I should say who are born with the acceptance of it as part of their nature. Those few will not encounter the illness." He paused for a long moment then, studying her silently.

She watched him eagerly, avidly curious – she would finally find out just what it was about the Dark Arts that was so dangerous… it had seemed so silly to her, the idea that she should avoid an entire section of magical theory – forbidden or not.

"I can say for certain, Miss Granger, that it is not part of your nature. You would definitely have shown signs of the illness had the Call taken hold."

"So… the illness… is it too late, once it shows?"

Severus gave her an approving nod. "Excellent question. No - the illness is a warning sign. If you continue past the illness, continue to study, to learn, to go farther… the Call will become a part of your nature. The illness is the signal that you are on the edge of the precipice, teetering… the signal to back away from the course of study you are pursuing, before it becomes part of you. Trust me, Miss Granger, you do not want it to become part of your nature."

"Did you… did you get the illness?" she asked, a bit breathlessly.

"I did."

"Do you still get it?"

"No."

"So… it became part of your nature, then," she said, lost in thought. She remembered what he had told her that pivotal night, in his office… how his father had forced him to study the Dark Arts. At such a young age… and then a memory of Sirius' voice came to her, "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year…"

"Yes," he answered.

"How… I mean, did you know, when you were young, what the illness was from?" she asked, looking at him.

He averted his eyes from her gaze, standing and pacing as he answered. "No." He sighed, then, and turned to face her. "My parents passed it off as a normal childhood illness. And," he said, giving a humorless laugh, "For my family, I would have to say it IS a normal childhood illness. The Dark Arts were practiced throughout the bloodline. All male children were expected to succumb to the Call."

"But… but you turned your back on it…" He nodded hesitantly. "How?"

He gave her a sharp glance before he answered. "I did turn my back on it, after a fashion. It is… difficult to control, still. It became a part of my nature, Hermione. That has not changed." He looked away again.

"You feel it, even now, don't you?"

"Yes. But I am able to avoid answering it. On most occasions. When emotions run high, however…" He ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. "It is… difficult to describe, Hermione. It is a… need, a desire… it compels you, demands that you feed it, giving almost nothing in return."

"Almost nothing?" she asked pointedly.

He looked at her with a faint smile. "I should be more careful of my wording around you. But, yes – almost nothing." He stopped speaking, then.

She frowned. "Well, if you're going to force me to ask – what does it give you in return? There must be some sort of payment for… for services rendered," she said sarcastically. He shivered at that, and she was taken aback. Professor Snape, shivering? Dear Merlin…

Every step seems but a small one.

"Have you ever wondered why the three – Imperio, Crucio, and Avada Kedavra – why those three and not some of the other Dark curses were labeled as Unforgivable?" he asked. She frowned, wondering where he was going with this statement. Finally, she nodded. "The Call gives a… protection, of sorts… to the caster of the three."

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

"The casting of an Unforgivable against a person, without the proper protection, tears away a part of your soul, Hermione. The Call gives a person that protection. That is why they were labeled Unforgivable while the blood boiling curse, for instance, was not."

She gasped. "But… but… Harry, he cast-" she stopped abruptly, coloring as Severus sneered at her.

"Ever impetuous with your words. Don't worry yourself, Hermione, I already knew of Potter's attack on Bellatrix in the Department of Mysteries. She thought it quite amusing that the boy couldn't summon the will, the intent, to cast it correctly." He smirked for a moment before continuing, "But even so – to answer your unspoken question – yes, it did cause an injury to Mr. Potter. The only reason the effects were not noticed was because of his… emotional response… to Black's demise."

She felt her face grow warm. How dare he sneer about Harry's reaction to Sirius' death? Her fists clenched in anger as she spat, "Emotional response – of course he had an emotional response! Sirius was his last link to his parents, his last link to his father-"

"Do spare me your histrionics, Hermione. I have heard it all from Albus too many times to count," he said with a flick of his fingers. "The fact of the matter remains – if the boy had not been so foolish as to attempt an Unforgivable, an Unforgivable that quite literally tore a piece of him away, the death of Black would not have affected him as deeply as it did. For as long as it did," Snape said in a cool voice.

Hermione's mouth snapped shut at that. Silently, she admitted that she had thought Harry's reaction to be a bit… overblown… especially so many months after his death. In the beginning, he had responded well within what she considered normal limits, but later… No one could even mention his godfather's name around him until close to the end of their sixth year – over a year after they had lost Sirius. All he would say was that it seemed as if a piece of himself were missing… she slumped back in her chair, overwhelmed. A piece was missing, and it wasn't just Sirius' presence.

And when Ron died… just last week… Harry's reaction was so different. He wanted to talk about him, to reminisce about the good times they had, to cry healthy tears when the sadness overtook him… she had put it down to Harry being accustomed to the feeling of loss, to being older, more mature… but maybe it was as Severus said… it was the casting of the Unforgivable that made the difference.

She sat in silence for a moment, digesting everything he had told her thus far. Something struck her as odd – like a piece of a puzzle that didn't fit quite right. "Shouldn't that have clued you all into Crouch, Jr.'s true identity? I mean, he didn't cast the Cruciatus curse or Avada Kedavra on a person, but he did cast Imperius on some students."

Severus smiled at her mockingly. "Surely such an intelligent, logical person such as yourself can figure that out, Hermione."

His smirk grew as her look of confusion deepened. Finally, she said, "Moody… is… the Call is part of his nature?"

"Very good, Miss Granger. If you were still my student I'd give House Points to Gryffindor. Sadly, you are not," he said insincerely. She fought the urge to poke her tongue out at him. "Yes. Alastor Moody is one of the three people alive who has turned his back on the Call of the Blood. Well, one of the three that Dumbledore is aware of, that is. There may be more."

"So – you, Mr. Moody, and who else?"

"That is not of your concern, Hermione," he said in a curt voice. She nodded, not having expected an answer from him.

She remembered something else he had said about the Call. "So – when you said the Call has to be fed… what… is it fed by blood? I mean, Crucio doesn't really create blood…" She suppressed a shudder as she said the words.

He turned and resumed pacing the room. "Blood is not required, per se. The call is best answered by physical blood, true. However… it is also satisfied by other things – fear, pain… even the taking of innocence works."

She frowned. "The taking of innocence?"

He glanced at her before he resumed pacing. "Taking a virgin, Hermione. Among other things."

"Oh." She stared at him as he paced. "I didn't really bleed much with Ron," she mused, wincing when she realized that her thought had been spoken aloud.

He stopped pacing, not looking in her direction. In a strange voice, he said, "That… incident… it was your only time?"

She flushed nervously. "Yes."

"Dear Merlin…" It was a whisper, and she wasn't entirely sure she had heard him correctly, so she said nothing.

Finally, he sighed and turned. "Many things feed the Call. Anger, hate, instilling fear. The taking of an innocent, virgin or not, will feed it… it's the act of debauchery, you understand. The tarnishing of something… not necessarily something pure, but if you leave it less pure than you found it…" he stopped again and she frowned in confusion, not sure precisely what he meant. She didn't feel brave enough to ask him, however.

He continued in a strange tone, "The Dark never truly leaves you… it is always a part of you…the Call can be resisted, but not at all times. Even those who turn their backs on it… we are still compelled, we still must find some way to satisfy it… to keep it dormant."

"That's why you're like that to your classes," she said, her face clearing. It made so much sense, now that she thought of it. "Instilling fear, anger-"

He looked at her sharply. "I am like that because that is what I am, Hermione. I wouldn't claim that it's part of the Call."

"But – you said yourself the Call is part of your nature now… how do you know it isn't just a… a more innocuous way to satisfy it?" she said, her voice rising.

He didn't answer, simply turned back around to face the flames. She could see the anger etched in the lines of his body – he stood taut, every muscle tense.

"It makes sense, Severus. You have to admit that," she insisted. He said nothing for a long while, his muscles remaining tense as he stood. She settled back to look at him, following the lines of his body with her eyes. He really has a very nice form, she acknowledged silently. Lithe, muscular without being bulky…

She started when he said in a sneering voice, "Enjoying the view, Miss Granger?"

She flushed scarlet, her breath catching with indignation. However, recalling his comment about her speaking impetuously, she bit her tongue for a minute before formulating her response. Think, Hermione… why did he say it? He does nothing without reason…Suddenly, the realization hit her.

He was trying to distract her!

He wanted her off-balance; he wanted to regain the upper hand. Her observation about the Call was correct, then - or at least closer to the truth than he was comfortable with. He was trying to anger her, to draw her away from an uncomfortable subject. Well, Professor, time for you to be off-balance for once.

He turned to look at her mockingly, obviously viewing her silence as an admission of defeat, and was visibly startled when she grinned at him wickedly. "Why, yes, Professor Snape. I am, at that."

He tensed and stared at her wordlessly, and she felt a surge of glowing excitement at the minor victory. The smile on her face grew. "Now, Severus – we are on a first name basis now, I hope you recall – before you attempted to change the subject by embarrassing me, I was awaiting a response from you." She waited for the sneering comment that would once again put her on the defensive. She had no hope that he would allow her this victory… but in the meantime, it was sweet while it lasted.

She jumped, startled, when he began to laugh. Not a mocking, cold, sneering laugh… but a deep, rich, full laugh… it was a truly beautiful sound. She looked at him in wonder as it made his face transform. Still chuckling, he made his way back to the chair opposite from her, giving her a little bow before sitting.

"My apologies, Hermione. You are, of course, correct about my attempt at a change in subject. Very well, then." He sat back and stared at her, a calculating look in his eyes. "You did come close to the truth, I believe. It is difficult to say, of course – the Call has been part of my nature for many years, since I was a young child. And, since I am being honest with you, I may as well tell you the entire truth, lest you begin to think of me as some romantic, misunderstood hero-type figure-" she laughed at this and he gave her an answering smirk "–I quite enjoy terrifying the weak-willed students and sniveling brats that roam these halls. So, if my being like that does assist in keeping the Call dormant, then it achieves two aims – satisfying the Call, and satisfying my own need for entertainment."

She smiled at him, amazed at his openness, and his honesty. His eyes were still shining with amusement, and she found herself getting lost in them… pure black, with no indication of where the iris ended and the pupil began. She wondered, then, just what his ancestry was – she assumed from his nose that he must have Italian roots, but perhaps some Spanish, also. His seal had given her no clues. When she sat at his desk the day before, she had inspected the wax seal – it was a wyvern wrapped around a dagger with an intricate circular design bordering the symbol. She had thought at the time that it must be a family seal. Abruptly, her musing was interrupted by a crackling noise.

"Severus? I apologize for disturbing you, but I have a request for Miss Granger," Albus Dumbledore's voice came from the fire.

She looked at Severus questioningly before turning and addressing the Headmaster. "Yes, sir?" she said, moving to the fireplace.

"Ah, Miss Granger – I hope you had a restful night. I spoke with Mr. Potter this morning regarding your… situation… and, as I'm sure you understand, he has some concerns about your safety." She muttered a curse under her breath, which Dumbledore graciously pretended not to hear. "He would like to speak with you, if it's convenient."

"Um – well, I just need to get dressed… where should-"

"Meet him in the Head Girl's room. Ascertain it is Mr. Potter at the door before you open it, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, interrupting her. She frowned. "Miss Granger – this is for your protection. I would have preferred to send Mr. Potter down to the dungeons to speak with you-" at this, a loud snort came from Snape's location "-but I'm sure you can guess why I did not," the Headmaster finished, his eyes twinkling.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "I'll be right there, Headmaster. Harry's seen me in my robe before, and if I'm just popping through the floo…" her voice trailed off.

Dumbledore nodded, smiling. "Yes, my dear – that should be fine. You can expect Mr. Potter to arrive… oh, about any time now," he said, quickly bidding them both a good day before his head disappeared. Hermione turned back to Severus.

"Well, go, then, Hermione. Mustn't keep Potter waiting," he said, sneering. She frowned in response.

"I was just going to ask if I should bring the book back with me," she said, proud when her voice didn't tremble. He went still, sitting up in the chair as he regarded her. Slowly, he shook his head.

"No. It is better if you do not handle it any more. When you are done with Potter, I will return with you to retrieve the book. If it is as you described…" he paused for a moment before finishing in an absent voice, "we have much left to discuss, Miss Granger."

She nodded and, grabbing a handful of floo powder from the mantle, floo'ed to the Head Girl's rooms.

When she stepped out of the fireplace, dusting herself off, she could already hear Harry pounding on the door. With another muttered curse, she strode to the door and, remembering Dumbledore's warning, cast a revealing charm. Yes, definitely Harry, she thought, smiling at the look on the green-eyed boy's face before opening the door and ushering him in.

"Hermione… oh, Merlin… I'm so sorry," Harry said, instantly grabbing her and holding her close. "This is my fault…"

She tightened her arms around him before pulling back. "Harry… how precisely is this your fault?"

He looked at her with haunted eyes for a moment before saying, "If you weren't friends with me, none of this would have happened. Your parents, Ron… Snape."

"Don't be an idiot, Harry," she declared, motioning him to sit in one of the armchairs next to the fire. She seated herself in the other and stared at him. "First of all, my parents would have… would have been killed, either way. Lucius wanted them dead for opposing the Marriage Law. It had nothing to do with you. And Ron…" her voice failed her then, and she had to pause a moment before continuing in a small voice, "Ron… Ron was my fault. What happened was my fault. I should have known what would happen…"

They will pay. I will make them pay.

Harry was shaking his head. "No, Hermione. Who could have guessed that… that would happen? He…" Harry was also finding it difficult to speak, and she waited patiently, tears in her eyes, as he regained his composure. "He asked me to go with him, to Hogsmeade… but I didn't… I can't even remember why, now. I was memorizing Quidditch plays, or something stupid like that… if I had just gone with him… but I thought he ought to pick out your ring himself-" Harry stopped suddenly, not meeting her gaze. She felt as if a knife had been shoved through her heart.

"A ring? He… that's why he went into Hogsmeade? Alone?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back furiously, shaking her head. "I told him not to… I didn't want…"

"I know, 'Mione, I know," Harry said, standing and moving beside her chair, leaning down and putting his arms around her. "This is all so crazy. And now, you've got to marry Snape. Damn it, Hermione… when did this all go so wrong? Didn't we just sit in the Sorting Ceremony? Didn't we just brew illegal Polyjuice; didn't we just defend a werewolf and his friend in the Shrieking Shack? When did it change? When did it all stop being a game? When did the thing I was most worried about change from having detention to having my friends get murdered? When did it become this?" Hermione had turned and wrapped her arms around Harry tightly, both of their shoulders shook as they let loose their tears.

"I don't know, Harry. I don't know." Hermione said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "Maybe… I think it was when Voldemort returned. Or when Pettigrew returned. Or… or when Lucius Malfoy was let out of prison because he pretended to be a spy for the Ministry."

Harry pulled away from her embrace at that, a bitter look on his face. "And because we had to protect Snape at all costs, Dumbledore couldn't fight it."

Hermione frowned. "Harry… Sev- Snape does so much for the Order, for the side of the Light… you don't even realize just what he does…" Harry just shook his head, turning his face away from her. "Harry, he doesn't want to do this any more than I do. But he's willing to do it, to protect me. When has he done anything other than protect us?"

"How about when he insulted your teeth?" He still didn't look at her.

She stared at him blankly, wiping her cheeks. His shoulders were set, his jaw firm in an expression she knew all too well. Sighing, she said, "Harry, do you really think any of that matters, now? He's put his life on the line, time and again, to protect people he doesn't even like. Including you. Surely that says something about him?"

"Yeah. It says he has a lot to atone for," Harry said coldly before turning to look at her. "Hermione, listen – I appreciate what he's doing for you. But… I just can't help but feel that there's just as much in it for him, if you know what I mean. I just… I just can't see him doing it from the kindness of his own heart." His mouth twisted when he said the final words.

Defeated, she shook her head and collapsed into the chair bonelessly. "Does it matter? As long as the end result is the same – does it even matter?"

"I don't know."

They remained silent for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Harry spoke again. "I just… I just wish it could be me, instead. I wish I could be the one to do this, to protect you. You're my last… my last real family, Hermione. You're like my sister, and it's… it's hard to trust you to my most hated Professor. That's all. I know he's trustworthy, and he'll protect you… but…" he stopped a moment, trying to find the right words. Hermione looked at him sadly. "I want you to be happy, too – not just safe. As happy as you can be with the way everything is right now."

Hermione got up from the chair and walked over to where he stood, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, I think… I think I will be. It'll be all right. He's… he's not as bad as you think, really."

"Right."

She insisted, "No, Harry, I mean it. It's been… rather pleasant, really. He's trying, he really is."

Harry looked at her. "Hermione, you do realize that you have to sleep with him, don't you?"

She couldn't keep a flush from coming to her cheeks, and she averted her eyes from his green gaze. "I know that, Harry. I… I don't think it'll be a problem," she said, her cheeks blazing red.

"Not be a problem? This is Snape we're talking about, 'Mione!"

Her cheeks continued to grow redder and a nervous smile came to her lips. "I know."

Harry looked at her incredulously for a moment before bursting out, "You – you… Oh, Gods… I don't believe it. You're attracted to him?" She shrugged, and his eyes widened. "Are you completely mental?"

She shrugged again, avoiding his eyes. "I don't know, Harry. I never really thought of him like that before, but… I mean, he's not handsome, but there's something about him… he's… well, he's sexy." Harry made a gagging noise, staring at her as if she'd grown a third head. "Well, he is!" she said defensively. "You remember when Lavender and Parvati were talking about the way he moves-" Harry let out another choking sound "-and without his robes – they're right. He's got a very nice body."

"WHAT?" Harry yelled. "What do you mean, without his robes? What's he doing to you?"

Hermione held her hands up, laughing. "Calm down, Harry. He's not doing anything! He doesn't wear his full robes around his own chambers, any more than you're wearing your school robes right now. He's been wearing a shirt and trousers." Harry visibly relaxed at that. She decided not to mention just how good he looked with the shirt off. "And what would it matter, either way? We'll be married soon enough. I may as well get used to it, right?"

"I wish there were some other option, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh, looking away from her. "I wish that damned law had never been passed!" His head drooped as he said, "I wish Ron was still alive."

"Me, too, Harry. Me, too."

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A/N: There was more that I wanted to fit into this chapter, but Snape and Hermione decided to have a longer discussion than I originally expected. More about the book of the Blood in the next chapter. As Scars is now winding down (only one more chapter to go!) the updates for this fic should be quicker after next week's update. Please read and review!! Especially review!!

Crookshanks Girl – Thanks! I'm glad you think he's sexy… just wait ;)

BabyGidGurl – Hehe! You've got a bit longer to wait…

Sweetbabe – Definitely not a conversation she wanted first thing in the morning – either conversation, actually!

The Perfectly Imperfect – Thank you – I'm trying to keep him close to the books. Of course I'll have to stray a bit at certain times, since we only see him from limited third person Harry POV in the books… and what does Harry know, anyway? ;)

Serpens Potio – Thanks for reviewing again! I hope you liked Hermione's reaction in this chapter, and Severus…

Tasya – Thank you! I'm flattered at your praise… I have some (I think) interesting plot points ready for future chapters, so I hope to keep it interesting and unexpected.

Athena Linborn – That's exactly the feeling I was going for – envy and pity, at the same time ;). I'm going to have fun exploring Snape's different levels of reaction with different people, thanks!

Raclswt – The wedding will be in a couple of chapters… patience! ;)

Imhilien – One of my favorite authors! Thank you for reviewing, and I'm glad you think he's in character.

Ezmerelda – Thank you for the review. I am trying my best to make it original and unique – both from the other challenge responses and my other fics. Getting the Hermione character balance is difficult – she's, like my Snape noted, at once mature and immature. More of that will come out as the story progresses (if I do it right, at least ;) ). Great analysis of my Snape, by the way… you've hit the nail on the head.

Ivana Tinkle – Yes, he is a meanie! Exactly what I'm going for… mean Snape but still envious of Hermione…

Evilution – Thanks! I'm glad you liked the Grawp line, and the Drooble's Best Blowing Gum password – I live for the details!

Liza Klein, KES, McWitch, Anarane Anwamane, Denise Ruth, Pseudonym, Refuz2luz, Jinxd n Cursed, Fleria, The great and Masterfu Yoda, Anna – Thanks for reviewing!!