AN: Here's the next chapter! It's a little lengthy compared to the other chapters in this story, but that's because a lot of things are going to happen soon. I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter. Please R&R if you do.

Who knows, maybe there's going to be of flirting in the next chapter ;)

When Hermione came down to the common room the following morning, Harry was seated on one of the chairs, clearly lost in thought. It was relatively quiet in the mornings, but this one stood out to her as she observed her friend. "Harry?" She asked quietly, going to take a seat near him.

"Oh! Morning, 'Mione," He quickly turned to her, his already unruly hair sticking up even more from the motion. She quickly caught sight of the dark bags under her friends' eyes and the slightly chapped lips, meaning he had been chewing on them. "How did you sleep?" Raising an eyebrow, she began;

"I think I'm the one who should be asking you," The bushy-haired witch responded with a small smile, concern evident in her eyes as she spoke up again. "Is everything alright?" He hated keeping things from his friend, but he nodded regardless.

"I'm alright. Just…" He trailed off, trying to come up with a way to describe the situation he was in, without getting too into details. "trying to figure some things out," Harry admitted, absentmindedly chewing on his bottom lip again.

"I understand," Hermione offered him a reassuring smile, which was returned. "Just know that if you need to talk about it, I'm here for you," She added, clasping her hands together. Her friend let out a content sigh as he ran a hand through his hair slowly.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me," Harry mumbled, trying to find the courage in him to talk about it more. He had lost plenty of sleep last night thinking over his revelation he had before trying to go to bed. Now, he found himself wanting to talk to Hermione about it, even if it was bits and pieces. Besides, she was bright for a reason. It probably wouldn't take her long to figure out what he was feeling.

"I realized last night that I might have feelings for someone," Harry admitted, looking away from his friend as he confessed. "It's so odd though. Part of me is shocked that I like him, but the other part of me isn't though. It's almost like I've known for a while and haven't been honest with myself," Harry shrugged as he finished saying all of that.

"Oh, I see," Hermione hummed, nodding along. "Are you more so surprised at the part of you that doesn't seem to be bothered by it?"

"A little," He responds with a nod, biting his lips lightly. "Like, I want to question why I feel this way about him, yet-" Harry licks his lips and shakes his head. "I can't." The wizard explains. "My mind starts to blank and I can only think of the obvious reasons as to why I like him," He sighs, flopping his head back against the chair. "I'm doomed, Mione!" He whined, causing his friend to fondly roll her eyes and tut.

"You aren't doomed, Harry. A little flustered, yes. Not doomed though," She squeezed his leg, humming. "If I may ask, why is this an issue? It's quite common to have feelings for someone. Unless…" Harry covered his face as the spark entered Hermione's eyes, groaning.

"I know that look. Go ahead, say it." Harry mumbled into his hands, holding back another groan as his friend huffed, clicking her tongue.

"I could be wrong, but I have a hunch that this isn't your typical crush," Hermione spoke softly, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You rarely get crushes to begin with, but this must be someone important to you," She said, tapping her chin. Harry grimaced at that and nodded.

"A recent development, yeah," Harry confessed, then paused. "Well, I mean, I've always admired him and been interested in him. Now that we're closer, things are just…different," He sighed, running a hand through his hair again and messing it up even more. Blinking as Harry said that, Hermione placed another privacy spell just to be on the safe side.

"It's Professor Snape, isn't it?" She asked, wishing she had Colin's camera to capture Harry's priceless reaction. "I've been picking up on it for the past month," She admitted, enjoying the look on his face.

"Oh, Merlin!" He placed his face into his hands again, shaking his head slowly. "Have I been that obvious? I only just realized…" Harry trailed off, embarrassed that his friend had already figured out how he felt before he did.

"Just to me," Hermione supplied. "You're my best friend, Harry. It's like the time you realized that I cared for Krum before I did," Sliding his hands down his slightly pink face, he nodded. "I'm not too surprised at this, honestly. You and Professor Snape have been spending a lot of time together recently, which led to the development of feelings. I think you started to get a crush on him when we did research into the potions book and discovered he was the half-blood prince,"

"There was something so fascinating about him," Harry breathed out, biting his lips. "Severus is so creative-his book gave me even more inspiration to create spells. If it hadn't been for his ideas, I doubt I would have created a lot of the spells I did," Hermione tilted her head at that.

"I don't know about that. You're so intelligent and powerful that it astounds me, Harry. You don't give yourself enough credit when it's due," She sighed, making him blush just a tad.

"He's told me that before as well," He admitted quietly. "That I don't give myself enough credit," He quickly explained, face still a light shade of pink. "It's so odd to hear that from him, though. I've admired him for so long, yet he seems to be the one admiring me lately," Harry sighed, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"It's no surprise," Hermione reasoned hastily, wanting to get her point across as well. "You're so creative and innovative. I think that's something that Professor Snape must admire about you. That, and you excel at what you do. What's not to admire?" Harry chuckled as she said all those things, obviously embarrassed.

"You're too kind." He chuckled again. "I mean, I know that I am powerful," Harry reasoned, knowing there was no use in denying that. He had been able to do things from a young age, just as Tom Riddle had, who turned out to be one of the strongest wizards in the world. He had mastered wandless magic when he was younger, something Severus was in constant awe of. "But I don't know if I deserve all the praise I get," Smirking, Hermione crossed her arms.

"Professor Snape thinks you do," She brought up, delighted to see the flush darken when she said that. "And he isn't one to casually toss compliments about." Hermione reminded him gently, her lips curled into a small smile. "I think he admires you as much as you admire him," Harry swallowed at that and shook his head, almost as if he were awestruck by that sentence.

"Merlin, I would find that hard to believe. He's so…" Harry swallowed again, flushing and licking his lips. "Amazing, Mione. His sense of humor, his snark, the way he gets passionate about certain subjects…"

Hermione was smiling as her friend said that, having rarely experienced this side of him before. She watched as he flushed, sighing for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"Merlin. I think I've got it bad," He huffed, biting his bottom lip again. "Thank Merlin for occlumency," Harry breathed in relief. "I can keep everything hidden from him. Not like he would go into my head without my consent anyway. Unlike Dumbledore," Harry mumbled the last part to himself.

"Did something else happen?" She asked suddenly, deciding to change the subject for now. They could continue talking about his newfound feelings later-she was more curious as to what Dumbledore tried to do this time.

"Shit, I forgot you weren't there yesterday," He mumbled, rubbing his temple. "Honestly, I'm a little surprised that Dumbledore waited so long to do this again. Anyway, he cornered me in a similar way that he did at the start of the term. He's getting even more desperate to talk to me alone in his office," The way Harry spoke of it made a chill go down Hermione's spine, something about it making her feel more unease than usual.

"That's so creepy," She voiced her opinion, to which Harry immediately nodded in agreement. "I wish there was a way to report that," Harry just shrugged.

"That's not even half of it," He shook his head at the memory. "It was obvious that he was grasping at straws, but he did two things. First, as usual, he tried to push himself into my head. He's not very subtle at it and I can always feel a pressure against my head when he tries to do it." Hermione made a disgusted face, crossing her arms. "Then he settled on the fact that I had a lot of detentions with Severus, and how it concerned him," Eyes wide, she cleared her throat.

"You don't think he'll try to intervene with those detentions, do you?"

"I don't know. The entire reason as to why I'm in them in the first place is so that I'm finally away from him," Hermione caught the anxious look in Harry's green eyes, frowning. "It means that I'll have to soon think of another plan…and Snape for that matter. These are some of the reasons that I admire him so much, Mione. He not only deals with Dumbledore, but he spies on him too. He's doing so much, but it goes unnoticed."

"I know," Hermione smiled sadly, having been clued in on all that Snape did for Voldemort. "He's not only a powerful wizard for keeping Dumbledore out of his mind, but he's clever enough to trick Dumbledore into believing he's on his side. " Harry nodded, biting his lips.

"I just wonder how often Severus can keep me away from Dumbledore without the Headmaster growing suspicious," He finally spoke up, chewing on the edge of his thumb. "The last thing I want is for his life to become even more miserable because of the old coot," Harry admitted. "Hogwarts is his home as much as it is mine,"

The rest of the day was an uneventful affair. Classes, studying, a bit of socializing here and there. Ron and Ginny were even keeping to themselves and the new posse they had acquired, convincing them that Harry wasn't the same person he used to be. It was Ron, Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, and Colin and Dennis Creevey. They had taken upon themselves to try (and fail) to convince other years that Harry was a traitor and had gone dark.

But surprisingly, they were keeping to themselves today, besides the same longing look Ginny always shot him.

Then it was time for potions.

Going into the classroom made Harry flush, the smell hitting him as soon as he opened the door with Hermione.

"Must be amortentia," Hermione commented as she sat with Harry, smiling a bit. "Smells like the cologne Viktor wears…" She sighed dreamily, earning a grin from her friend. They were a little early, but Harry could hardly complain when the classroom smelt so damn good…

"Yeah. It does smell nice," Harry agreed, biting his lips at the fact that he now knew why he liked the smell so much. Hermione snapped out of it and turned to Harry. He chuckled, knowing what was going through her head. "It smells like his potions lab. It's what his robes smell like," Harry explained, breathing in the scent again. "And homely, I suppose. I still can't quite describe that one as much," He shrugged, knowing it somehow connected to Severus. "Maybe it's his private rooms? I've only been in there once, but it was a pleasant smell." He added quietly.

"That's so sweet," She grinned at him, earning a half-hearted glare. "It is! It's romantic saying his smell reminds you of home," Hermione grinned as her friend flushed darkly, finally realizing what that meant.

"Fuck." He cursed into his hand, face still red. He was going to make another comment, but soon the two of them became quiet as the other students began to pour in, including Severus.

Everyone was dead silent as Snape made his way to the front of the classroom, robes billowing behind him. He stopped in front of his desk, face blank as he spoke slowly.

"Today you will be brewing Draught of Living Death from memory. I expect you will either excel," He caught Harry's gaze as he said that, causing the Gryffindor to flush at the gaze. "-or fail." This time he was looking at Justin, who flinched. "Do not delay." As he finished, the students were quick to grab the needed ingredients and head back to their desks.

"Grab thirteen sopophorous beans instead of twelve," Harry whispered to his friend, who gave him a look. "It was in his book," He explained, seeing the recognition flash in her eyes as she went to do just that.

Once they had all their needed ingredients, Harry also whispered, "When it gets to the point where we have to add the juice, we need to crush them instead of chop." Nodding again, they both got to work.

With Snape's personal notes at his disposal, he knew the potion would be easy for them to accomplish. Sure, it might have been considering cheating, but he was still part Slytherin after all. Best to use his resources to be at the top. That, and it was him and Hermione working together. The only other person who also had a lot of value when it came to potions was Draco.

It was relatively silent in the classroom as everyone crushed, cut, and stirred. The only chatter came from pairs, who were working together to achieve the best outcome. Eventually, their liquid became pink in color. A little while after that, Draco and Blaise also had a pink potion. Everyone else struggled-some having dark red instead of pink. Then, there were the ones that were so thick that the students had trouble stirring it.

"I see that only four of you possess any brain cells to correctly brew this potion," Severus was walking around, stopping in front of one of his Slytherins. "The NEWTs won't give you a recipe to follow, Miss Parkinson. You will be expected to brew a potion on the spot." He continued walking, stopping at Justin and Ernie's table. "Carefully pour the juice in, Mister Macmillan. This isn't your first year," His arms were crossed, an unimpressed look on his face.

"Poor Justin," Hermione whispered, seeing the boy pale as Snape continued to watch the duo.

"Yeah. I'm surprised he managed to get into the class," He replied, looking at their pale pink potion and waiting on Snape's official judgment.

It didn't take long for the man to make his way to them, raising an eyebrow as Harry lit up. Severus placed a leaf into the pink liquid, watching as it immediately disintegrated. Nodding in approval, he continued his rounds, catching Justin from making a huge mistake. He banished the potion away with his wand before more damage could be done.

Again, Harry was surprised that the Hufflepuff had managed to get into the class.

"Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for brewing passable potions," Severus looked at the Hufflepuff pair, sneering. "And ten from Hufflepuff, for not knowing to stir before adding an ingredient." Justin and Ernie grimaced at the look. "For those who failed to brew the potion, I will be expecting a two-foot essay on the importance of correct techniques in the brewing process," Those who hadn't brewed the potion correctly groaned, earning a cold look. "You may go,"

Most of the class was rushing out, but Justin sighed as he came over to Harry and Hermione, a solemn look on his face. "Merlin, I suck at potions. How did you two manage to get done so quickly?" He asked the two as they started to pack up.

"I just used the same instructions that I used last year. I found that they were extremely helpful," He smirked as he met Severus' gaze from across the room, amusement obvious in those dark eyes. "It's important to remember how to brew the potion. He was right about the NEWTs not providing a recipe for us to follow." Justin nodded at that, taking that information in.

"I need to revisit a lot of the potions we did last year in that case." He sighed, breathing in the scent. "Oh! I forgot to ask about your shampoo, Harry!" Harry paused at that, eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"My shampoo?" He asked, having forgotten about the other potion in the room.

"I was gonna ask what it was. I keep smelling it for some reason," Harry blushed darkly as Justin admitted that, some of the students who were still packing stopped and gaped at him, some snickering as they left. Snape had even paused at that, an unreadable expression crossing over his face. The expression spurred the rest of the class to quickly leave, not enjoying the dark look.

"Uh, Justin-" Hermione tried, wanting to explain the situation as gently as she could.

"I also keep smelling your body wash too. It's so strange that I keep smelling it…" Justin carried on, causing Harry to flush more. "Did you put on more than usual?" The poor Gryffindor couldn't even respond if he wanted to, his face burning as Justin continued talking. He missed the way Severus gripped his desk, a darker look in those already dark eyes. Hermione, on the other hand, caught the dark expression.

"Detention, Mister Fletchley, with Filch." Justin snapped out of it; eyes wide as he turned to look at his professor. "Maybe an hour or two will give you ample time to revisit sixth-year potions." He spoke darkly, making something in Harry shiver.

"Sir-what-what did I do?" Justin's eyes were comically wide. Harry would have felt more sympathy for him if it weren't so hilarious. "I don't-"

"It's a wonder you managed to get into my class, Mister Fletchley," Severus drawled out, his voice still dark. "If you had paid any attention last year, you would be able to identify the potion." He sneered. Justin opened his mouth but quickly closed it.

"A potion?" He frowned, clearly confused. "But all I smell is Harry's shampoo!" The other wizard continued to flush, wanting to sink into the floor and vanish. Severus nearly rolled his eyes as he grabbed a recipe that the sixth years had used, thrusting it into Justin's hands.

Brewing instructions for Amortentia

The Hufflepuff gave an undignified squeak, his face dark red as he quickly rushed out.

Feeling awkward all day, Harry and Hermione finally made it to dinner in the Great Hall. She thankfully hadn't commented on the events that transpired during the end of potions, which he was extremely grateful for. He had a feeling she knew that it was one of the last things he wanted to discuss at the moment, or for a while at least. It would have to be taken care of eventually, but not now. It looked like he would be rejecting the Hufflepuff sooner than planned.

Sighing, Harry started to eat his food and drink his pumpkin juice, only stopping when he noticed his Black ring stared to dimly glow. He slowly placed the food and drink down, swallowing hard as he paled.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione whispered cautiously, worried when her friend stopped eating or drinking the food. He nodded slowly, not wanting to alarm her. He got out his notebook and she took the hint and soon fetched hers.

Don't freak out, but I think there's something in my food or drink. My Black ring is glowing, which means there was a potion added to my food. Thankfully, my Gryffindor necklace also acts as a counter to unintended potions, like Severus' ring. As soon as Hermione read those words, she nearly gasped.

Harry, this is serious! Your food and drink have been tampered with. There's no telling what would have happened if you didn't have your lordships. You should take some samples to Professor Snape. He would find a way to tell you what potion it was.

I was planning on it. I can already feel his gaze on us. He must have noticed something was wrong. Harry put the notebook away as he looked to the head table. His green eyes met concerned onyx, and he gave a tight smile.

It seemed to do the trick because Severus was soon leaving dinner early, Harry following him a couple of minutes later. As he left, Ginny Weasley let out a displeased huff, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

"I take it something happened?" Severus asked as he led Harry to his private rooms, raising an eyebrow at the bitter chuckle.

"Oh, I assume so. Thankfully these lordships saved my arse," Harry snorted, showing him the Black lordship ring, which was still glowing. Severus narrowed his eyes, recognition filtering through as he nearly growled.

"Indeed. Do you have the food?" Harry nodded and passed him the shrunken food and drink.

"I think I've already got an idea about what it is, but we'll see." Harry was leaning against the wall. "My bet is Amortentia. Ginny is in the sixth year, so there's no doubt she would have gotten ahold of some. Either that or compulsion potions, curtesy of the Headmaster," Snape frowned more, tapping his wand against the food and drink, mumbling in Latin. The drink gave off a pink tent to it and Severus sneered.

"It seems like your original assessment was correct," Severus was thankful he had control over his magic because the anger in him was building even more.

"Bloody Hell," Harry groaned, part of him wishing that he had been wrong, and Ginny wouldn't stoop to such a despicable level.

"She will be dealt with soon." Severus banished the food away with a flick of his wand. "That behavior is enough to warrant another month of detention,"

"Speaking of detentions, I was thinking that I needed to find another way to escape Dumbledore without causing suspicion." He saw the purely Slytherin smirk on Snape's face and met it with his own. "You've already thought of something,"

"Obviously," Severus smirked more. "I could train you for mastery in defense." Harry had wondered about doing that in the past, but he was never sure how to go about it.

"You could even convince Dumbledore you're training me to defeat Voldemort. That way it tricks him into a false sense of security. He'll think I've changed my mind,"

"That was my plan. I know it won't take you long to earn a mastery considering your talent, but it will keep Dumbledore at bay for now," Harry nodded at that, running a hand through his hair.

"How long will a mastery take? What do I even have to do?"

"Unlike the course at Hogwarts, you'll be expected to know darker spells. It's a more inclusive exam than your NEWTs." He explained, to which Harry shrugged.

"That won't be too hard. I've already mastered a lot of darker spells." He loved to learn after all. "You'll likely train me on the weekends too, correct?"

"Saturdays. I might be known for making first years cry, but I'm not cold enough to overwork you. You deserve a day to relax," Harry was oddly touched by the sentiment, smiling at the words.

"You need a break too. I'm sure dealing with me all week and now on Saturdays will be enough to drive you insane," Harry teased, earning a soft hum from the potions master.

"Hardly. You're one of the few individuals I can stomach to be around for prolonged periods." Harry flushed as Severus said that, getting his homework out to distract him.

"The sentiment is returned, Severus," Harry responded later, scooting just a tad closer as he worked on his charms assignment.