"Hermione you don't happen to know where my invisiblity cloak is, by any chance? I can't find it any where!" Harry said rather accusingly, walking up next to where Hermione and Ginny were sitting.

The two girls were on a blanket in the school grounds, which were bathed in glorious sunshine. Ginny had been comforting her distraught friend as she poured out her feelings, talking further about the events of the previous day. They had talked most of the previous night too, but Hermione was still feeling upset and confused.

Ginny gave him a look of reproach, before snapping at him

"No, we don't know where your stupid cloak is, maybe if you tidied your room up once in a while you wouldn't lose things!"

Hermioine's stomach tightened with guilt, she knew very well were it was; in Severus's office. With all that had happened, she had completely forgotten about it. Oh no! I can't possibly tell him that I took it! He'd want to know why; he'd go absolutely mad if he knew who had it now! She thought miserably

She bent her knees up and buried her face in them, trying to hide her tear stained face.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked, sitting down, looking at Ginny expectantly

"Oh..she's just upset because...because she thinks she's going to fail all her exams, that's all" Ginny answered quickly

Harry gave an unbelieving snort.

"Huh! If anyone was going to pass all their exams with flying colours, it would be Hermy, she's got more brains than the two of us put together!" Harry joked

"Huh! Speak for yourself!" Ginny threw back huffily

Hermione wasn't in the mood for listening to her friends bicker and she got up to go, wiping her eyes on some tissue Ginny had previously conjured up for her.

But Harry and Ginny became silent and watched her get up; Harry grabbed her arm gently. Hermione looked at him, trying to smile as if nothing was wrong, but failing miserably.

"What's really up Herm? You've been weird for ages, ever since you and Ron broke up, is there something going on that I should know about?" He looked at her, his green eyes burning into hers, making her look away.

Hermione swallowed, should she confess all? Tell Harry what she'd been up to? After all Severus was going to be away for a while and Harry couldn't go and confront him yet. In some ways she wished he could, she was angry with Severus right now and wanted him to feel some of the pain that she was feeling. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

She looked at Ginny, who smiled weakly and shrugged, as if to say, "it's up to you."

Hermione made her decision. So with fear burning in her belly, her eyes closed and brow creased in concentration she began.

"Harry, you'd better sit down, you're not going to like what you are going to hear, but please listen before you judge, that's all I ask," she said, nervously.

They all sat back down on the blanket, Harry still not taking his eyes off Hermione. Ginny laid a comforting hand on Hermione's back and rubbed now and again.

Hermione's hands began to shake and she clasped them tightly in her lap in an attempt to steady them. She wondered if she was doing the right thing, she could make up something, but she really didn't want to tell anymore lies.

They all sat down on the blanket, with Harry looking at his friend expectantly.

"You know all those times I kept disappearing?" Hermione started, still looking down. "Well...I was..I was with someone, someone you don't really like very much.. that's why I didn't want to tell you" tears began flowing from Hermione's eyes again, but she wiped them away quickly

Harry looked concerned and said in a cautious voice,

"Who? Not...not...Malfoy!" his voice shook on saying that name

"No...no not him." Hermione closed her eyes tightly, she could hardly bring herself to say her true lover's name. "No, Pro..Professor Snape!" She immediately began crying again and Ginny squeezed her friends shoulder comfortingly. Hermione knew she had to look at Harry, even though she didn't really want to, but knew that she had to reassure him, before he went off on one.

Hermione turned around to see his face, but he wasn't angry, he was grinning.

"Ahh! Good one you two! Thought you were going to get me then didn't you! For a moment there I thought you were serious! What did you use on Hermione to make her cry like that? It was really good whatever it was!" Harry sniggered

But both girls did not smile back, making his grin falter slightly.

"Harry, it's not a joke! It's the truth, I've been seeing him for ages and what's worse, Dumbledore found us together! So now he's had to go away on some mission and I don't know when he'll be back!" Hermione said, blowing her nose on her now extremely waterlogged tissue. She immediately conjured up another one, making the old one disappear.

Harry's mouth dropped open for a while before he spoke

"You're... you're serious! No..no, Hermione you can't tell me that! You're telling me you've been seeing.. Professor Snape! No!" Harry started to edge back away from the girls

"It's true Harry!" Ginny affirmed to him, "She told me first, she was worried about how you boys would react"

"Are you telling me that, you've..you've done it with him? Please tell me you haven't had sex with that old bastard!" Harry's face was starting to redden with anger

Hermione merely nodded meekly.

"Please don't be too angry with her Harry, Professor Snape sort of seduced her...she didn't plan it, it sort of just.. well.. happened" Ginny said trying to defend her friend

Harry's face was now fully red, his eyes were even greener, if that were possible and his hands were balled into fists.

"Where..is..he?" Harry's voice was dangerously calm

"Oh, Harry you're not going to do anything stupid are you? Please, don't! It wasn't just him it was me as well! I wanted him, as much as he wanted me! Do you really think I would have let him touch me if I hadn't wanted him to? Remember what I did to that Sytheryin boy, when he tried it on with me?" Hermione asked, but then she shuddered as the memory of her close call with Lucius came back to her, a time when for once she hadn't defended herself too well.

"Yes, but he was just a boy. Snapes different, he's a lot more powerful and he can be very persuasive. I should know, I've had to put up with occlumency lessons from him for three years!" Harry retorted angrily, then he looked down for a while, silent. Suddenly he sprang to his feet, a determined expression on his face.

Hermione stood up with him, looking into his eyes pleadingly and holding on to his arm. He looked back, but his expression didn't change.

"Hermione, you know that I love you and that I always believe in you and what you tell me. Usually you always seem to know the right thing to say and do; you're always the one who keeps us on the straight and narrow. Now this! I just..." he broke off shaking his head, 'that slimy bastard is such a hypocrite, always going on about us giving in to our urges and how he's so controlled! Then look what he goes and does! Goes after a girl, young enough to be his daughter, the filthy pervert! When he come back, I tell you, he's not going to know what's hit him!" Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Can you forgive me though?" Hermione asked, looking away, over at the trees waving gently in front of the lake.

"I don't know... right now I just don't know, but I do know one thing, I'll never ever forgive him! I know Ron won't either!"

"Oh please don't tell Ron!" Hermione pleaded, looking back at him

"Why not? Why should we keep it from him? That's not fair! He has the right to know what the girl he loves has been up to behind his back! I'm not sure if he'll ever take you back now! I'm not willing to lie to him Hermy!" Harry replied angrily, then he shook his head "I still can't believe this! I feel like I've jumped into another dimension or something!"

"Harry, I'm not that bossy bookworm you used to know anymore! I'm a woman now and I...I want to be with someone who I have something in common with! Ron and me, we're just too different, I don't love him like that anymore Harry, I don't want him to take me back" she said gently, smiling and laying a hand on his arm, but Harry snatched it away

"So, do you love Professor Snape?" he asked, almost accusingly

"Yes, I think I do" she replied cautiously

Harry set his lips in a thin line looking angry again

"To think that you reminded me of my mother!" he spat, suddenly, looking her up and down "You and Ron being together used to remind me of they might have been, now you've gone and destroyed it!"

Hermione shook her head, she was so tired of hearing this thing Harry had, about comparing her and Ron to his parents

"Harry! Why were you always trying to recreate your parents in Ron and me? We were nothing like them, most of the time we did nothing but argue! But they wouldn't have been perfect either! Why can't you accept that your perfect vision of the past, is just you looking through rose coloured lenses, your parents would have had their faults just like anyone else! After all your dad was a bully, wasn't he? He made Severus's life a misery here!" but she knew at that moment she had gone too far and said too much.

He looked at her with a look of unbelievable hurt, shaking his head.

"You're even defending him now! My Dad was worth 10 of him! For all we know Snape probably deserved it!" Harry snapped back, balling his hands into fists angrily, "He's a disgusting, filthy, pervert Hermione, can't you see he's just using you!"
"He's not! He's wonderful! He's intelligent, intuitive and gentle! There's a whole side to him you just don't know about Harry, hidden underneath that gruff exterior there's a really good man!"

Harry scoffed, "Well it's really well hidden then, because all I see is a greasy git with a big nose, who likes to make people's lives a misery!"

Hermione went to retort but realised that several people had spotted what was going on and were looking over and pointing. The three of them decided that the time had come to make a move and go somewhere a little more private. Ginny kept looking at Hermione sympathetically, but said nothing. Hermione kept looking at Harry as they walked but he didn't look up, he was keeping his head bent down.

Just as they had nearly reached the doors to the school however, none other than, Malfoy and his new gang were standing in their way. Crabbe and Goyle hadn't made it past the fifth year, so Draco had had to make some new friends quick, well they were more cohorts than friend's.

"I want a word with you Granger!" he hissed, sneering at her

"Get lost Malfoy! We're not interested in anything you have to say!" Harry spat. "Remember the last time you tried to get the better of us?" he finished, smirking, remembering a time when Malfoy and his friends were left hanging by the back of their underwear, from some of the many flagpoles that stuck out from Hogwarts outer walls.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips sulkily, he was obviously remembering it too.

"Professor Snape has gone and I know you had something to do with it!" he said, pointing a finger accusingly at Hermione

Hermione had already recoiled from him, a little, she was feeling unnerved now, she hadn't realised before just how much he looked like his father. His power was also increasing, though he had none of his father's finesse or skill yet. His power though, however great, could not match that of Harry's or even hers.

"What makes you think that?" she asked worried about what he knew

"Oh, just some rumours going around! Someone saw you coming out of his office on Saturday, looking upset, just after Dumbledore had come out before you! What's going on?" Malfoy said threateningly

"You're only worried that with Professor Snape not here to baby you, you're going to fail all your exams!" Hermione retorted back

Malfoy just grimaced, but said nothing

"Come on lets go" Ginny said, worried that the situation was going to escalate

Harry, Ginny and Hemrione moved forward, expecting the gang of four to move, they did, albeit reluctantly, but just as Hermione passed Malfoy, he grabbed her wrist.

"One day, mudblood, you'll be all alone without your friends here to help you and then.." he trailed off suggestively

"Don't touch me!" Hermione snapped fearfully, but trying to make it sound like he just disgusted her

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to! I'll have to go and wash my hands now!" he laughed, looking around at his grinning friends

Hermione was furious and as she passed them, spoke without thinking

"It's a shame your father doesn't think like that!" but immediately on saying the words, she regretted them

"What do you mean? What do you know about my father?" Malfoy asked angrily

The three of them looked round briefly, but pressed on through the doors. Malfoy and his gang followed them.

"Come on Granger! What do you mean?" Malfoy demanded, snatching at Hermione's arm to make her turn around and face him. As Hermione went to pull her arm out of his grasp, however, he only gripped tighter. He wasn't going to let this go.

"I didn't mean anything, now get your hands off me!" Hermione snapped, grabbing his hand and attempting to disentangle herself from it, but he still held fast

"I'm warning you let go! Or do you want me to hex you another head?" she warned him, glaring directly into his eyes

"And I'll do more than hex you!" Harry seconded

But Malfoy must have been very angry indeed because he seemed to be ignoring their warnings and merely glared at the two of them, still holding on to Hermiones arm.

"I just want to know what you meant by that comment! You insult my father and I want to know what you're talking about!"

Hermione looked at Harry, who looked like he was going to launch himself at Draco. In the mood he was in at the moment, he would probably do him some serious damage. So Hermione stopped struggling to get away and on seeing her calm down Malfoy released his grip on her arm and stood back, which in turn made Harry relax a little.

"If you really must know!" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at him, "I happen to know your father is rather fond of taking women by force and he doesn't seem to be too fussy about what their background is!" then she jutted her chin out defensively, folding her arms and glared into Malfoys cold, grey eyes

His face broke into a furious grimace

"Liying bitch!" he hissed furiously, "I know my father would never do that! He'd never take a woman by force and especially not one who wasn't a pure bred witch!"

"It just shows how little you know him then doesn't it?" Hermione said in reply, smirking at his fury

Malfoy rushed at her but she was ready for attack this time, with a flick of her wand and the spell, "Impedimenta!" he was thrown across the floor, his friends obviously decided that intervening was not fortuitous at this point and went instead to their leaders aid.

The three friends silently resumed their walk up to the Gryffendor common room. Harry looked lost in thought as they reached the portrait.

"Hey Hermione! What did you mean about Malfoys dad anyway?" Ginny asked curiously, after Hermione had uttered the password.

"I'll tell you when we get up to the dorms" Hermione replied, as she began to climb in through the hole in the wall, that had been revealed. She really wished she had held her tongue, she hadn't wanted to drag all that business up again.

As they all got into the common room, they were met by Ron, who immediately came running up to them

"Hey guys!" he said brightly, smiling, then turning to Harry he informed him,"Hey harry, I've turned the place upside down, literally sometimes! But I can't find any sign of your cloak, sorry!" then he looked at Hermione and his eyes widened

"Hey what's up with you?" he asked

"I'll tell you later" Hermione said vaguely

"Are you going to tell him everything?" Harry whispered, behind Ron's back as they walked over to their usual spot, to sit.

Hermione didn't reply, she only looked at him sorrowfully, then looked down. She sighed heavily, she was definitely going to be glad when this day was over.