"I'm sorry."
"You should be," she muttered.
"No, not for that."
"Then what, you infuriating man?"
"For making you a target indirectly."
"Severus, what are you talking about?"
"People hate me, Hermione."
"I don't. Continue please."
"Other people do." he picked up a small leather pouch for powders from off the ground that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"What are you suggesting?" Her annoyance was quickly changing into frustration and confusion.
He tossed the pouch to Hermione. "What's in there?"
She opened in it and looked inside. "A fine blue powder." She looked at him questioningly.
"It's dreamweaver powder."