Harry followed Hermione through the dungeons on the way to potions, his last lesson of the day. Speaking to Remus had definitely helped, he'd realised that even though he liked Fred, it probably wasn't in that way and that they were better off as mates. And no, as Remus had clarified for him, not mates who snogged, fooled around, or had meaningless sex. Now all he had to do was tell Fred, nicely, without hurting his feelings.

"Hurry up Harry!" Hermione called. Harry looked up to find her standing outside the classroom door a good ten metres away. How'd she get there so fast? He wondered as he jogged to catch up. "I'd ask you why you're moping but we don't really have time." she whispered as they entered the room and took their seats.

"I'm not moping." He muttered. "Just preoccupied."

"With what?" Jas whispered from her seat behind him.

"Nothing."

"Good." Snape's voice made him jump, he was standing right in front of Harry's desk. "It won't be interrupting my class then will it?" he said. Harry new it was a command not a question.

"No sir." he answered, Snape nodded sharply and swept a malevolent glare over the rest of the class, telling them the same applied to them, even if Harry would receive a worse punishment for the same crime. Harry noticed Snape's gaze stop on Jas and his eyes harden for a brief second before he span round and walked to the front of the class, beginning a long lecture on the various uses of some obscure potions ingredient that Harry didn't catch the name of.

By the time the bell went Harry had long since given up taking notes and was planning a way to get Hermione to lend her his.

"You aren't dismissed quite yet." Snape said causing a collective groan from the sixth years. "I have to return your essays." He said and distributed the essays between the first row and himself and quickly began to give them out. Most of the class had gone by the time Harry received his, Hermione, Draco, Jas, Parvati Patil, Hannah Abbot and Dean Thomas still remained in the classroom along with a Ravenclaw girl Harry couldn't remember the name of.

The classroom was silent as Snape returned the rest of the essays, until he handed Jas hers that is. She took a quick look at the grade before glaring up at the Potions Master, eyes bright with unconcealed anger.

"You rat bastard." She hissed. The other students gaped in astonishment at the fact that she had the gall to speak to Snape like that.

"Miss. Poliakov-" Snape began icily.

"Don't Miss. Poliakov me!" she raged. "A fucking D! That essay was practically perfect!" she hollered. She grabbed Malfoy's paper of the desk. "Draco copied mine word for fucking word and he got a bloody O! Just because I pissed you off you downgrade my essay by four bloody grades! Fucking height of professionalism you are!" she seethed.

Snape slammed down the last essay, Hermione's, on her desk before he hissed, "Out, everyone." They all filed out quietly except Jas who didn't move a millimetre. Harry was last out and as soon as he closed the door he pressed his ear up against it.

"Harry!" Hermione admonished, but he made a shushing motion to her with his hand.

"Don't you start about my professional standards." Snape muttered. "You sound like that bloody werewolf." He sank down into his chair at his desk and looked at Jas, her eyes still shone passionately and she was still breathing heavily from her outburst, it was all he could do not to go over there and -

"He's got a point you know." she said interrupting his thoughts.

"Look," he sighed, "I'll re-grade your essay, I was still rather angry when I marked it and I admit I may have been a little unfair." He said.

"A little?" she asked as she walked towards the desk.

"A lot then, give it here." he said and snatched it from her hand. She walked round the desk and stood next to him, watching silently as he grabbed a quill and scribbled out the D and replaced it with an O, accompanied by the word 'excellent effort, try to keep it away from Mr. Malfoy next time'.

"Thank you." she said as he handed it back. Their hand brushed together slightly and their eyes locked. Before either one of them registered moving they were locked in a passionate kiss. Jas pulled away breathing heavily.

"Holidays." She breathed.

"Holidays?"

"And I finish school in a year and a half." She said.

"You expect me to wait around?" he asked.

"Not at all, I certainly won't." she smirked.

Harry frowned, he hadn't heard anything since Jas gave Snape back her essay. Either they were talking really quietly or . . . He jumped back as the door opened.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry heard Snape say, and he looked past Jas to see his potions master sitting at his desk. "Another twenty points for eavesdropping, I suggest you get some professional help if you can't cease this nasty habit by yourself." He said dryly.

"Yes sir." Harry muttered as Jas shut the door of the classroom. Malfoy, Hannah and all four of the Gryffindors who had been in the room when she had yelled at Snape looked at her expectantly. She smiled serenely at them and walked away towards the Slytherin corridor. After sharing a knowing glance with Harry, Malfoy followed her.

"What was that all about?" Parvati asked curiously.

"Harry had his ear pressed up against the door." Dean pointed out.

"Couldn't hear anything." Harry lied.

"They must know each other from outside of school." Paravati said.

"I heard he used to tutor her. Her Dad's some rich pureblood, had her home schooled." Hannah said as the four of them started walking out of the dungeons towards the great hall for lunch.

"Where'd you hear that?" Harry asked curiously, Hannah was a Hufflepuff and they didn't usually socialise with the Slytherins, and they were the only ones likely to be privy to that information.

"Over heard Pansy Parkinson and some of her friends gossiping."

"Ah."

"Do you think they're, you know . . .?" Parvati trailed off and Harry got the idea she would have giggled at that point if she'd been talking to Lavender.

"What? Involved?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Parvati nodded, she was really holding it in now and let a small giggle escape. Harry saw Hermione roll her eyes.

"They do seem unusually close." Hermione commented, glancing at Harry.

"And, and they'd had a fight, and that's why Snape marked down her essay!" Parvati said excitedly.

"I dunno, it seems a little far fetched." Harry interjected. He had no idea why, how many times had he wished Snape gone? He just didn't want Jas to get expelled, he told himself. "I mean Snape's a bastard and Jas is . . ." Harry trailed off.

"Jas?" Parvati asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to drop my bag off." He said and turned to the corridor that led to the Gryffindor common room. "And hey, try not to spread any ridiculous rumours." He said before walking down the corridor.

Ooooo, I'm so good at updating now, I'm just conveniently ingnoring the fact I haven't updated anything else so shhhh. Anyways, review! x