Before I start this next chapter I simply must thank all of my wonderful reviewers, you make writing this story so much more enjoyable and worthwhile!

ThouandI – thankyou for your usual insightful reviews!

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Thanks also to Mandabella, IluvJohnnyDepp and Mystic Dark Raven

Hermione sat there looking at Severus, who was sitting at his desk, his head bowed slightly and hands clasped out in front of him. She was wishing that everyone else would just disappear and leave them alone, but she knew that wasn't possible right now.

"The biggest question I have is, do you love each other? Or is this just a fling; a 'bit of fun'?" Dumbledore asked, looking between the both of them.

Hermione chewed her lip, looking down for a moment, then she looked up at Ron who was scowling and staring at the floor, next at Harry, who looked distinctly uncomfortable and kept glancing at Ron and lastly she looked at Ginny, who gave her a half smile. Ginny's expression seemed to indicate that, although she sympathised, Hermione had to get herself out of this mess, as she couldn't really do much to help her now.

"For me it's love, I don't know about Severus..I mean Professor Snape..Oh I don't know what I mean! All I know is I've fallen in love with him. I don't know how it happened, it just sort of crept up on me.." Hermione admitted at last, looking at Severus again, but he only flicked his eyes up briefly and then continued looking down.

She saw Ron shaking his head at her, with eyes half closed, she looked down too then and began to play nervously with the tie on her robe.

Dumbledore turned his head to Severus, "Well Severus? How do you feel, do you love Hermione?" he asked, "My goodness! I sound like I'm conducting a marriage ceremony!" He added, under his breath

"I refuse to discuss my private life, in front of these.." and it sounded like he was going to say 'children' but that would have been an unfortunate choice of words, considering that Hermione was the same age as them, so instead he said, "students"

Dumbledore sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, "very well Severus, I will talk to you later, in private. As for you three, I need to ask a favour of you" he asked, then looked down and pursed his lips, thinking, before looking up again

"As you, Ron and Ginny, know, with your parents being members of the Order; Professor Snape is a spy for us. His position in the school is essential for his work, as it provides a means of cover and protection for him. Without his position here, he would not be able to work as effectively for us and therefore our struggle against Voldemort would be all the more difficult. So I'm asking you all if you would keep quiet about this, at least for the time being"

"What! Is this some sort of guilt trip? Turn him in and the struggle against Voldemort will suffer? Huh!..." Ron shook his head with an incredulous smirk on his face, "Do you think I'm daft or something? You're just trying to protect him because he is your friend! The fact is Dumbledore, that I happen to love that girl over there and even after everything that has happened, I would still take her back! That Pervert" (indicating Severus) "has taken her away from me and I can't just conveniently forgive and forget, for the sake of not letting the order lose one spy! I'm sure they have plenty of others who can do his job" Ron said, giving his rival a look of utter hatred

"I can assure you Ron, that unfortunately, there is no one else like Professor Snape, he is the only deatheater that has turned back totally from the dark side, something which takes an enormous strength of mind, as the pull is very strong to keep you there. He does invaluable work for us and he could not be replaced, unless we could train someone to pretend to be a deatheater, but that would mean them having to undergo having the 'dark mark' tattooed on their arm, something I assure you, that not many would volunteer for. He is also, though a little bad tempered at times, one of the bravest men I have ever met, he approaches threats upon his life with the same stoical manner in which he approaches anything else. He has protected Harry on many occasions, at great risk to himself, without Harry even knowing it. In short Ronald, I ask you to lay aside your anger, however justified and not report this to the Ministry, at least not until the war is over, then I think that Severus will accept his fate no matter what it may be."

Ron looked down, calmer now "but don't you think what he has done is wrong? I mean it's not allowed is it? He could have given her something to make her want to be with him..or anything, how do you know?" Ron asked.

Hermione decided to interject at this point

"He's never given me anything...apart from the odd glass of wine," she said, raising her eyebrows slightly at the word 'wine'. It's always been mutual, he's never forced me to do anything I swear!"

"One question I have for you Herm is, how long have you been seeing him? Since after we broke up or was he the reason we 'all of a sudden' broke up, when everything was going along fine before. " He asked curiously, narrowing his eyes suspiciously

"Ron..." Hermione said, choosing her words very carefully, "our relationship was pretty much over before anyway, at least, from my side.."

"Just answer the question! Did you start this..this..thing, before or after we broke up?" Ron persisted

Hermione was about to open her mouth to answer, when suddenly, there was a polite knock at the door

"Severus? Dumbledore? Is everything alright?" It was Professor MacGonagall and she sounded a little worried

"Yes Minerva!" Dumbledore called out "everything is fine!" Then he got up and went over to the door, opening it just a crack. He spoke in hushed tones to the old witch, that weren't audible to anyone else, then closed the door again.

"Well Ron, have you made your decision?" Dumbledore asked

"Okay, I won't say anything for now, but only for Harry's sake, I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopordise his safety, but once the war is over.." Ron said with a warning glare at Professor Snape, who merely looked back with a stony expression

"Well, now that I have your word on your discretion Ron, may I speak to these two alone for a moment?" Dumbledore asked looking at Ginny, Harry and Ron.

The three of them nodded and got up, heading for the door. As they went out Ginny gave one last encouraging smile to Hermione, before closing the door behind her.

Dumbledore proceeded to tell them, that basically, them carrying on seeing each other while Hermione was still a student at the school; was definitely out now. That with the fact that he may have to do a little illegal memory modification to anyone who may have seen or heard anything going on.

He also told them how conflicted he was, because on the one hand he felt disappointed in both of them, for acting so foolishly, but on the other hand he was gladdened to see two people find love with each other. Severus would still not admit his feelings for Hermione though, but when he'd been asked, would not look her in the eye.

Dumbledore had asked to speak to Severus alone while Hermione got dressed and closed the wall behind her as she had re-entered the bedroom. Hermione didn't listen this time; she merely sat on the bed and got dressed, feeling utterly miserable. After a while, the wall disappeared and Hermione walked back into the office, to see a resigned looking Severus leaning against the fireplace.

Seeing her forlorn expression, Dumbledore put his hand comfortingly on Hermione's shoulder.

"Hermione, you should go now. I know this will be hard for you, but you have your whole future to think of. Your exams start next week and you must put all your energy into them for now. This really will be for the best, but once you have finished school..who knows what could happen" the old wizard said kindly, smiling warmly

Hermione merely nodded and looked towards Severus, but he didn't look back, so she sadly picked up her bag and went as to leave. She took one last look at him hopefully before she left and this time he did look at her. They just stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before Hermione eventually smiled weakly, then she lowered her eyes, looked away and opened the door. Once out into the corridor she could hold back the tears no longer and cried her heart out, not caring if anyone could see her.

By the time she got to the Gryffindor common room, her tears had dried and her composure had come back. She knew that Dumbledore had been right, she did have her future to think of, she needed to get good grades so that she could apply to become an auror. She needed to become an auror, at least for the moment, to help Harry. They certainly wouldn't accept her if she had any baggage attached, if it got out that she had been having an affair with a teacher, they probably wouldn't touch her with a barge pole; they couldn't have someone working for them, that had been involved in a scandal. She knew that at least for the moment she needed to concentrate her efforts on passing her exams, then afterwards who knew? Like he'd said. Maybe her and Severus would be able to see each other again, if he wanted to that was, he seemed very noncommittal on that front. But Hermione knew that she wasn't going to give up on him that easily.

"You started this Severus Snape and you're damn well going to finish it!" she said to herself, before uttering the password and climbing through the portrait hole.

Once in the common room she sighed, what on earth was she going to do about Ron? She hoped he did keep his word and didn't tell anyone, or else the 'shit really would hit the fan!'