-1He was rather surprised when he reached the laboratory in record time. Severus had been drowning in his thoughts about what transpired last evening.

"How could I be so forward? She is a student! This is NOT acceptable!"

He strode to the ingredients laid out on the table ready to be brewed. He picked up the salamander tails and began chopping them.

"Her virginity! I stole her virginity! No, she said she wanted to give it to me. For how long though? How long has she been having the same thoughts as I?"

The thoughts ran rampant as the knife swished against the scales, flesh, bone, and blood of the lizard's appendage. Severus closed his eyes for a split second to clear his mind. That's when the hiss escaped his lips.

The cut was short but deep. The chopped meat lying on the cutting board was ruined by the small pool of his blood that had already collected. He took the board by his uninjured hand and tossed it across the lab. Fortunately, the shelves it destroyed were empty.

"What if I hadn't moved those supplies earlier? I'd be dead right now! I can't keep my mind on what I'm doing. This is all wrong. I can't do this. I have to take care of it. I have to take care of her first."

Severus left the lab and went to his sitting room. Forcefully grabbing the floo powder canister, he turned to face the fireplace. He threw the powder in and called for the Head Girl's room.

Hermione was sitting on her duvet talking animatedly to her parents. Her mother gasped as the fireplace sprang to life in a magnificent shade of green.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione stood up and knelt by the flames. "Yes, Professor?"

"Would you be so kind to join me in the potions classroom in five minutes? I have something I need to discuss with you regarding the…" Severus's image glanced up to see Mr. and Mrs. Granger sitting nearby and in full range of hearing their conversation. "…project we were discussing in the car last night. I believe that a simple Obliviate would work quite nicely in such a predicament."

His face swirled and disappeared. Hermione kept sitting there for a moment realizing what he was suggesting.

"Hermione, dear? Is something the matter?" Mrs. Granger said as she came up on her daughter and placed a caring hand on her shoulder.

Hermione looked up. "No, it should be fine. Really. Just a…project for a counter curse potion. I'll be back in a moment. Go ahead to bed if I'm not back soon. Potion work can take hours to finish."

She smiled at her parents and left the room. Hermione began the long trek to the dungeons, wringing her hands together the entire time.

"He's going to Obliviate me. Maybe it would be for the best." She sighed as she succumbed to the inevitable realization that last night was best forgotten.

She approached the door and knocked.

"Enter."

She stepped into the room, surprised to see her Professor wearing nothing more than a bathrobe. She looked around and saw that a faint glow cast from the fire bathed the room.

"Wha…I thought…"

"I want something first." He advanced on her quickly and took her mouth with his in a searing kiss. She ran her hands up inside his robes and felt the smooth expanse of his chest under her fingers.

"Miss Granger?"

She opened her eyes.

"Miss Granger!"

She looked round. She could have sworn she knocked.

"Miss Granger, is there a reason why you are standing out here in the hall with your eyes closed?"

"I'm sorry, Professor. I was…nervous." She mentally slapped herself for thinking of such a lame excuse for her daydream.

"Have you successfully pulled your Gryffindor bravery to the front of your mind enough to enter?" He motioned towards the classroom. She swiftly entered and sat down at the back of the room.

"I am not giving a lecture, Miss Granger. We have things to discuss." He gestured to his desk where two chairs sat. Hermione got from her current seat and moved to the chair he pulled out for her.

As she sat, she found her voice again, "Just get it over with, sir."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Just Obliviate me and be done. I suppose years down the road someone will notice I'm not a virgin anymore. Whether it's a medi witch or a…boyfriend or future husband, I'm sure they'll notice," she said as she watched her hands twist again in her lap.

"Very well." Severus raised his wand. He looked once more into those bright chocolate eyes and almost melted. "She doesn't want to forget." He convinced himself that it had to be done. "Obliviate."

A strong light erupted from his wand and encircled Hermione's head. Severus leaned in.

"You will forget the last twenty-four hours. We were caught in a blizzard and Remus found us. You have spent most of the time talking to your parents."

He knocked over a few harmless potions and turned to her. He carefully guided her to a lying position on the floor. He ended the spell and she awoke from the trance.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Granger, you are safe. I'm afraid you were careless in our experiment. Next time, I suggest you get plenty of rest before coming. Fainting above the potion table is NOT acceptable. Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Severus turned away from her and cast a quick Evanesco on the spilled potions on the floor and table. He then stalked back to his lab leaving Hermione alone.

She took a few moments to collect herself and then headed for her room. Her parents were indeed asleep, and she too decided to turn in.

Once she had undressed and looked over revision assignments, she glanced at her schedule. Her first class was potions.

Severus emerged from the lab only when he knew Hermione had left. He sighed.

"Now for my memory."

He started his rounds while he thought of who would be good enough to remove his horrid behavior from his mind. Only one name bear mentioned.

Only one person did Severus trust enough to do as he asked and not question his motives. He went back to the dungeons to grab his cloak, and then headed to the gates to Apparate to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

The street was deserted. The two small muggle houses beside each other cramped and seemed to jump out of the way as Severus thought hard about the house. It appeared in a quick flash. He slowly walked up the cobblestone sidewalk and entered. The halls were quiet. He managed to proceed to the kitchen with stealth as to not wake Mother Black's offending portrait. Once inside, he went to the table to wait for him to show up. It didn't take long for the wards to signal an arrival and Remus Lupin to appear.

"Severus? Is everything alright?"

The potions master looked up at him. The look of confusion was something that Remus had never had the opportunity to see plastered on Snape's face. He took him a moment to formulate his words.

"Severus, tell me what is wrong. You're not doing a very good job hiding it." He sat down beside him.

Severus looked away. He knew he couldn't tell him what happened…at least not in so many words. Therefore, he said the next best thing.

"I've done the unspeakable, Lupin. I've…" Severus shut his eyes and swallowed. "I've somehow managed to become emotional attached to a student. I need your help in forgetting about her."

Remus looked at him incredulously. "Hermione?"

Severus shot him a look that all but told Remus he was correct with his assumption.

"Well, what would you have me do? Take her off your hands? She is rather fetching now that she's grown up a bit."

The rage that flared inside Severus at that moment was enough to force him out of his chair and lunge at the werewolf. He grasped him by the throat and pinned him to the wall behind them. Severus never spoke a word. The utter jealousy and malice that filled his eyes did all the talking.

Remus looked straight into Severus's glare. "You love her."

Three words were it took to break down Severus Snape's walls that surrounded his heart. He immediately let go of Remus and took a step back. He heard himself say something similar this very morning, but he never admitted to it. He never actually said it aloud and to hear it come from someone else's lips, startled him into realization. He did love her. Now, he had to say it. He needed to confirm it before he allowed the idea to be stripped from his mind completely. He needed to know that it was true and the only way to do that was to admit it to another human being. Severus looked up at Remus.

"I love her."