Author's note: Here is an extra chapter that I had time to write once my company left today. I hope you all had a safe holiday weekend. I will try to update again by the end of the week, but there is a lot of stuff going on at work right now so I'm not sure when I'll have time to write. Thanks for all the great reviews! Redfrog

Chapter 11:

Hermione had slept in due to being up late studying. I was only a week until her masters' tests and final exams so she was in frantic study mode. She had promised Carley she would go shopping with her and to lunch for a break from books. She had just finished her shower and gotten dressed in time, her late start had almost made her late. She had just stepped apperated to the alley next to the muggle coffee shop they were meeting at when her cell phone rang. She was startled to realize she had missed Severus' call that morning while she slept.

"Hello Severus," she told him as she answered, she loved caller id, "I'm sorry I missed our call this morning, I woke up late." She was shocked by the bitter icy voice that answered her.

"I am sure you were up late celebrating," he said angrily.

"I was studying all night, what would I have been celebrating?" She asked him confused.

"Don't try to play me for a fool; your big news was in our evening edition paper." He snapped out at her, he had never imagined she could hurt him this badly.

"Severus what are you talking about?" Hermione asked him, more confused at the anger and sadness she could hear in his tone. "I haven't even read the paper yet, what could possibly make you this angry with me?"

Now Severus was the one that was confused because he could hear the sincere confusion in her tone. He knew that she wouldn't have lied after being confronted. "I suggest you read the morning paper." He told her sharply, "I will leave my phone on so you can call me after with the explanation I deserve." He said and hung up leaving her standing in the alley completely confused. She just hoped that Carley had the paper with her.

"Oh Hermione Congratulations! Why didn't you tell me? This is so great; I didn't even know you two were back together. Where's your ring?" Carley asked her as soon as she walked into the coffee shop.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked her; now very nervous about what she would read in the paper.

"Oh don't act like you don't know!" Carley laughed. "Here I brought you my copy of the paper so you could add it to your scrap book." She said handing her the paper. The headline read, "Star Seeker to Wed War Hero". Hermione, shocked, sank into the closest seat and continued to read the completely false article in front of her. It stated that Jason himself had told them the happy news and they were to be wed over the summer. He told the paper that taking a break in their relationship had made them both realize how much in love they were and that he popped the question the night before and she accepted. Hermione looked up at Carley both terror and anger visible on her face. "What's the matter Hermione?" She asked wondering why her friend was not happier.

"I haven't spoken to Jason in months, I have returned every single gift he has sent me trying to get me back and now he is claiming we are engaged to the entire world!" She said in a deadly whisper. "I am going to find him and castrate him," she threatened. "If he ruined my chances with Severus I am going to kill him, then I'll have Harry and Albus bring him back to life so they can torture him and then I can kill him again!" She understood the anger and hurt in Severus' tone now and hoped he would believe her.

"Jason made this all up?" Carley asked her in shock, scared that her friend would do something rash. "Why would he do that? What are you going to do?"

"He did it in hopes that I would go along with it most likely. The jerk has been trying to get me back for months and won't take no for an answer. I am going to the club house to talk to him and when I'm done screaming at him I am going to the paper to tell my story and then to my lawyers to sue him for every damn penny he owns." Hermione said, still glaring at the paper. "I'm going to have to skip our shopping trip." She told Carley, "I'll owl you when I get everything worked out and we can get together again before I leave."

"I'm sorry about this," Carley told her. "Don't do anything rash that will make you look bad. Remember that you are the injured party here so you have the advantage."

Hermione pulled out her cell phone as soon as she left the shop and tried to call Severus. He didn't answer and she started to cry. She figured he was in class or just too angry to talk to her. She desperately needed to talk with him. She didn't care if the entire world believed she was engaged to Jason as long as Severus knew she wasn't and knew that she had not and never would betray him. She desperately needed to be back home, she doubted she could fix this over the phone. Her desperation must have been heard as Fawkes appeared in front of her at that moment. "Oh Fawkes, thank you, you have no idea how much I need to be at Hogwarts right now." She told the phoenix as she took hold of his tail feathers and the next moment was standing in Albus' office.

Severus hadn't known what to make of everything and was currently pacing Albus' office ranting. He couldn't believe that Hermione could betray him like that, but she had seemed so confused by his call that he still had a spark of hope that she had not. He was surprised when Fawkes squawked in what sounded like reprimand before flashing out of the room. Albus was staring at the perch as well in wonderment at the chiding tone in his pets trill. Severus had turned away and was staring at the window when Fawkes reappeared. Albus smiled at the distraught woman clutching his familiar's tail and pointed her over to the window. If she had been upset enough to call Fawkes to her then there was definitely hope for the pair.

Hermione threw herself across the room and into Severus's arms, almost knocking him backwards. She sobbed out, "I'm so sorry Severu; I can't believe he would lie to the press like that." Hermione told him, into his chest. The feel of his arms around her and his chest against her face was wonderful. "I am not, and never will be engaged to that jerk. He made all this up and now it's in every paper in the country and probably other countries. I would never lie to you like that; I would never hurt you like that. Please believe me Severus."

"Why would he do such a thing," Severus asked still mad and untrusting, yet unwilling to let her go as he had dreamed of holding her in his arms for years now.

"Because I have refused his advances for the last few months and this is his desperate attempt to get me back. I am sure he thinks I will just go along with it to avoid having to try and set the record straight. Oh, he is in for it now. I am going to kill him." She told him, the venom in her voice unmistakable making it impossible for him not to believe her.

"Hermione," Severus said, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice at the thought of her mangling the idiot jock. "Don't do anything illegal. I expect that you will be able to clear this all up shortly. Forgive me for believing you would deceive me so?" He asked as he tilted her tear stained face up to look at him.

"Oh Severus, I was so worried about your call and then when I read that article the only thing that I thought was that if he ruined my relationship with you that I would have to murder him. You are the most important person in my life; I am so scared of loosing you." She told him, more tears falling.

"You will not loose me over this Hermione," he told her calmly, wondering how his feelings could take such a rollercoaster ride. "I was upset yes, but that was because I believed you had been lying to me this whole time again. Forgive me for not talking to you before forming opinions. I am very new to this relationship business." Hermione just buried her face in his robes and sobbed with relief that he believed her.

Albus sat behind his desk watching as Severus comforted Hermione as she sobbed her relief into his robes. He was happy for both of them that they would be able to work things out. He was glad Fawkes had gone to get her as he doubted if Severus would have believed her well enough in a letter or even over the cell phone that he kept so carefully concealed.

"Shh love, it's alright," Severus said into her hair, rubbing her back and enjoying the feeling of holding her. He was glad he was able to calm her down and surprised that her tears did nothing to turn him off. Normally he was disgusted by crying women, but it just felt so natural to comfort Hermione. He hoped he would have some time with her, but knew that she needed to get back and straighten everything out. Once her sobs had stopped he tuned her face up towards his and smiled at her. "I missed you." He told her quietly and leaned down to capture her lips in their first ever kiss. It was wonderful and they both cherished the moment, knowing it couldn't last as she had to go back soon before anyone realized she was gone.

The kiss giving her the courage she needed, she looked deeply into his eyes and told him, "I love you Severus Snape, and only you." She had wanted to tell him that for the first time in person and knew this was the time to tell him to erase any lingering doubts he had from the article.

Severus' heart soared when he heard her say those words, words he had never thought any woman would ever say to him. "I love you as well Hermione Granger," he told her and kissed her once again, both realizing that their time was almost up. "I am only a call away if you need me. I can't believe it's going to be another year until we are together. I wish you could finish faster."

"I am sorry to break this up but Fawkes informs me that it is time to take Hermione back," Albus told them, a happy smile on his face and eyes twinkling madly. "If you need any assistance clearing this up just send a letter my dear girl." He told her giving her a quick hug goodbye and leaving his office to give the two a few moments privacy.

"Will you please tell Harry the truth as well as the twins, I am sure Albus will tell Minerva and that is all who needs to know right away." She asked him, once again burying her face in his robes to memorize the feeling of being in his arms and letting his scent envelop her.

"Anything for you my dear," he told her gently stroking her hair before kissing her once more and stepping away to let Fawkes in. A moment later he was alone in Albus' office and had never felt so alone in his life. He had always been a loner in school and in life but now all he wanted was to spend every day in the company of the young witch who had captured his heart.

Hermione thanked Fawkes when he returned her and smiled when she realized she was outside the Quidditch club house. She squared her shoulders, freshened up her face with a wave of her wand and plastered on a glare Severus would be proud of before storming in to where she was sure Jason was gloating to his friends. It seemed that Carley had contacted Max as he looked ready to kill Jason and was being restrained by the reserve beaters who were confused as to why Max was mad. Hermione smirked at the mayhem she was about to cause before storming into the room, looking like a vengeful Veela in her anger.

"How dare you print those lies you pathetic excuse for a human being!" She screamed at Jason, making sure she had everyone's attention in the room. "I would never agree to marry you! You are the lowest form of filth on this planet! Is it not enough that our entire relationship was just a fake to throw off the press? Did you have to try and get in the papers again that badly? Are you so arrogant as to think I would go along with this ruse when we haven't even spoken in months? You absolutely disgust me." She glared daggers at him as she paused for breath.

Jason was looking around frantically trying to figure out how to save his reputation. "I don't understand honey, are you having second thoughts?" He asked, trying to pretend she was just nervous. He had obviously miscalculated when he received a very hard slap to the face.

"Don't you dare keep lying," Hermione hissed. "I am going to the press and am going to tell them everything. I promise I will ruin you for this," she spit at him in her furry. The other players in the room winced; no one wanted Hermione mad at them. She was a super powerful witch who had even more powerful friends. They knew that if she wanted to ruin Jason she was fully capable of doing it.

"I wish you would stop making a scene love, what will everyone think?" He asked desperately trying to keep his reputation in tact.

"They will think that you are a pathetic weasel who had to pretend to have a girlfriend and then when she got sick of having to pretend you couldn't handle it and made up another story for the press. Well I have news for you buster, there is no way I am letting you get away with it. This is my life you are messing with. All my friends will think I have been lying to them, not to mention that you almost ruined the relationship I am in." She continued to yell at him. Jason realized that his gamble had not worked and hung his head, knowing his reputation would be shot once she finished with him. He couldn't help it that he had fallen in love with her, but he had known the entire time that she didn't love him, he just hoped she would go along with it like before.

Hermione walked into the newspaper office and asked to speak to the owner immediately and threatened to bring her lawyer if they did not comply. To say that the owner of the paper was outraged by what Jason had attempted as well as by the deception he asked her to participate in by pretending to be his girlfriend was an understatement. The owner promised to print a recantation and an article documenting the entire truth the very next day and promised to send the correct version out to all his overseas contacts.

She left the office with a wicked smirk knowing that she had just taken the first step in paying Jason back. With Severus and her friends knowing the truth she didn't really need a complete recant any more but she knew that Jason prided himself on two things, his reputation and his money. She was going to take both away and hope that he learned a little humility and would become a better person for it.

Her next stop was to her lawyer's office to sue for personal damages. She knew that she would win hands down as soon they were asked to testify so she had no misgivings. She just hoped it wouldn't interfere with her exams too much. She knew her lawyer would be able to get the hearing fast tracked so it would be over by the time she returned home.