I'd like to think this is a positive cliffhanger, hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 25. Confessional

Minerva had found him nearly right after Hermione left and he groaned at her arrival. "What now?" He asked, his mind still swirling around the thoughts of Hermione doubting his loyalty. She didn't appear to have been hurt by his harshness, so he held out hope she had read through his words and gather their true meaning.

"I put on a bit of a show for our dear Albus back there, but I know for a fact that whoever this witch is, she can't be your girlfriend," Minerva started, almost as if she were punishing him for lying. "I know of your feelings for our dear Miss Granger, and those don't simply flutter away because you visit a pub with some bookstore clerk."

"You were the one saying at breakfast that we were flirting!" Severus protested.

"You know well and good that I was helping the other professors gossip along, no one should think you're in love with a student!" Minerva countered. "Now, come with me to my rooms, if I can spy on you, I have all the faith in the world Dumbledore can too." She motioned for him to follow her and he obliged begrudgingly.

"Aren't our houses battling in Quidditch in half an hour?" He bemoaned, hoping to get out of the conversation, even though he knew it would do him a world of good. If he was to be a functioning spy and wizard, he would have to unload his secrets on someone and Dumbledore just wasn't that person anymore.

"Then we best get this chat over with quickly." They flooed from his chambers to hers, sitting down in her transfigured couches as she summoned tea. "Now, let's have it, what happened last night?" She coaxed, a glint in her eyes that indicated she was eager for a bit of intrigue.

"The truth?" She nodded and made a noise encouraging him to continue. He pondered for a brief moment lying, but just like always, Minerva got to his better side he decided to be honest. "Well, I gave Hermione some books for the holiday, and we sat and read one of them, nothing else. Then, well, we fell asleep and I felt that my absence had been a little too lengthly, so I left the castle outside that one-"

"Well so much for not acting on your emotions," she interrupted, a frown on her face that soon softened. "But I had expected as much. You're quite awful at hiding your feelings for the girl, and she is undoubtedly worse. Nothing to do about it now, is there?" The witch shrugged. "Continue."

"Well I was in London and Tessa, the bookstore witch, found me and we talked. Turns out she's a pureblood who was taken away as a child as punishment to her parents. Frankly, she intrigued me. She invited me to a pub and I guess I had one too many pints of beer. I ended up passing out in her flat," he explained, feeling relieved to tell the truth. Minerva might have been nosy, but she was an awful good listener and he was in desperate need of a confessional.

"But nothing happened?" Minerva inquired, raising an eyebrow at him, almost daring him to tell her that he slept around on Hermione. The lioness was protective of her cubs, and he didn't blame her. He was just as worried about that happening as she was, as Hermione was.

"Nothing," he reassured.

"Then there is nothing more to discuss. When this Tessa arrives, I will join you on your tour, as to not raise suspicion from our dear Hermione. I hope that you will remain subtle until the end of the term, then perhaps convince her to take her N.E.W.T.s with a different Defence professor." She was trying, at least, to keep him in line, and he truly did wish he could take it all back. He dreamt of a world where he had waited to act on his feelings for the girl, that they had remained civil with each other until the end of the term. But, he noted, it wasn't like there was a strong possibility he would live to see the next day. With Voldemort on the rise and the overhanging threat of war, how could they possibly expect the triple-agent spy to get through it all unscathed?

"I appreciate your subtlety, Minerva, and your ear. I will seek you out shortly before six, and perhaps you can accompany me to Miss Tessa's work?" The grin that developed on the older witch's lips gave him enough of an answer.

"I will be waiting for your arrival. Now, shall we walk to the Quidditch match?" Severus nodded at her suggestion, and he accompanied her down to the pitch. They sat in the teacher's box just as the announcer started the game. He found Draco in the flurry of movement and watched as his godson stared down at Hermione who was amongst her friends in the Gryffindor section. She, however, appeared far less than enthusiastic and refused to glance his way. It was fair that she was ignoring him, and Draco for that matter, their situation was far too sensitive and she was smart enough to know when she needed to keep her feelings under wraps.

"She looks positively green, Severus," Minerva interjected. "She might as well be cheering for Slytherin, should I check on her?" The potions master shrugged, returning his focus to the match.

"If you would like, though I can't imagine her opinion of me would improve when she discovers you know the truth about us," he swallowed. Minerva didn't know the full truth. She was very unaware that he had had sexual relations with the younger Gryffindor, and if Hermione let that slip, he wouldn't even make it to the beginning of the war.

-x-

Slytherin won the match, which was frankly shocking to everyone involved. Draco sought Severus out afterwards, but made no mention of his conversation with Hermione, just noting the fact that it was likely her presence that gave him the luck he needed to win the game. The potions master was stoic through the entire discussion and feigned shock when he mentioned that Hermione and he were beginning to explore a relationship. Severus mentioned the need to keep it under wraps, though he knew it wouldn't be long before the Dark Lord enacted his plan, whatever it had morphed into. Draco had left, likely in search of the girl, and Severus took the time to finish his grading for the week.

He noted it was nearing 6 and his stomach was uneasy, as though he were nervous to see what the outcome would be of the witch's visit. He had yet to decipher who it was she appeared to be related to, and still held that she might fit into a plan of Tom's. Still, it wasn't the only source of his worry. Hermione would be having dinner with her friends when the witch arrived. While he was hopeful she had understood his meaning, there was no saying it was the case as he had yet to find time with her alone enough to practice a little Legilimency on her, let alone attempt a real conversation. So, he bounced his leg and tapped his fingers against the wood grain of his desk as he read over the same paragraph countless times, attempting to regain focus.

His attention was drawn away when his floo awakened and the sound of Minerva called his name. "Severus?" It's nearly 6 now, are you coming?" He groaned, noting that more time had passed than he thought, and flooed to the witch's office.

"Come on then," he grunted. Her office was closer to the front entrance than his so it was a short walk to the front gates then the two side-along apparated to the bookshop in London. It was raining, which made the slushy snow on the streets that much more slippery. It would have been dangerous had they needed to walk through it, but they managed to keep still as Tessa locked the door and puttered to meet them.

"Hiya! I'm Tessa," the witch greeted enthusiastically. Minerva shook her hand and shared her name before a silence hung over the trio. Severus watched as the younger witch turned to face him expectantly. "Off we go?" She asked, and the wizard said nothing as he nodded, offering his arm to the girl. The three returned to Hogwarts and the youngest didn't seem at all phased by the mode of travel. Instead, once she found her footing, she looked up at the castle in awe and took a few steps backwards. "This is brilliant," she whispered.

"Yes, it's quite the sight for those who haven't seen it before," Minerva commented, motioning for them to follow her. "Come along, dinner has started and we want to feed you before you get the full tour." The older witch ushered the new arrival along, guiding her through the castle and spewing a few bits of history along the way. Had the witch read Hogwarts: A History, she would have known all the things Minerva was putting out there, but Tessa seemed enthralled in every word. McGonagall explained the House system and the characteristics that went with each one. Tessa proudly determined she would have been a Hufflepuff. Severus didn't agree but he kept his mouth shut all the same. He did notice the way that she looked at every single student that passed by, craning her neck to get a better look at times. He had wondered what it would be like to grow up not knowing who your parents really were, and he imagined he would have acted quite the same way. Lost but determined.

When they reached the Great Hall, Tessa stopped walking and gaped at the sight. It was almost as if she had never seen magic in her whole life, staring up at the enchanted ceiling. Looking at the food on the tables, and still managing to ogle every single person in the room. She paid close attention to the Slytherin table, who were quite obviously still celebrating their Quidditch success. If any House had the majority win for punishable parents and purebloods, it was Slytherin.

"Severus?" Tessa looked back over her shoulder at the wizard standing stoically behind her. "Which House were you in?"

"Slytherin," he stated simply. Tessa's face seemed to fall a bit, and she nodded, returning to look to the front of the hall. Minerva navigated them to the front and Severus attempted to subtly look for Hermione among the Gryffindors. Panic bubbled in his gut when he couldn't place her, even though every other member of her friend group was there. He glanced over to the Slytherin table, which Tessa was still looking at even as they reached the front of the hall and noticed a distinct lack of Malfoy. He closed his eyes and hoped that she had gotten his meaning and hadn't run off with Draco. It would absolutely shatter his heart if he lost the only other witch he had ever truly loved, though he doubted it was the case.

-x-

Their tour was rather benign and Minerva did most of the talking. She had also noticed the lack of Hermione at dinner and taken his silence as the panic it was. She was a life saver, honestly, and he wasn't sure what exactly he had done to deserve a friend quite like her. He would have to thank her with some strong alcohol when the day was done, but for now, he had other priorities. Minerva took Tessa back to her flat and Severus decided it was high time he had a chat with Hermione. He had gone to his office, if simply to regroup after his prolonged exposure to the chattier version of Hermione. Severus had been attempting to come up with a way to find the girl without rousing suspicion when his office door was pushed open, even though he had been certain he locked it.

He spun around to face the intruder and saw no one before he looked down at his feet. The orange blur Hermione referred to as Crookshanks was rubbing his shedding all over the potions master's black trousers. He sighed, though he was grateful. Her half-Kneazle had a knack for finding him when he needed it. Severus scrawled out a short message and attached it to the cat's neck and sending him off before going up to the room of requirements to wait for her.

It wasn't long before the door was pushed open and the frazzled brunette stumbled through. "Severus! Thank gods, I really need to talk to you." She was breathless as if she had run from wherever she had been to find him in the room. Her feline was nowhere to be found but he had obviously served his purpose in getting her the note. Perhaps he would be our new form of communication, he mused, eager to find a way to keep in contact with the girl that was a bit more subtle than letter writing or finding her in person.

"Another bout with Malfoy at dinner?" He teased, but it didn't quite strike her the way he intended.

"What?" Her face twisted in confusion, but she quickly brushed it off. "No, I meant about earlier. I know I'm supposed to be putting on this show for your mission, but it's going horribly. I'm not- I can't snog another person when you're all I can think about," she explained, genuinely distraught. He changed his composure, offering support instead. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I understand," he spoke calmly, much to her apparent shock.

"You- you do?" Her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

"Absolutely, Hermione. I don't want to be dating, rumoured or otherwise, anyone but you, and I could imagine you feel quite the same way" he offered reassuringly, wanting nothing more than to fill the distance between them and kiss her.

"But it's for the mission, you need to follow through. What if he kills you? I can't-" Her eyes darted back and forth on his features in panic, and he pulled her in for a hug, resting his chin on her head. She nuzzled into him and he sighed contently.

"The Dark Lord's intentions for you were warped and unclear. Frankly, I don't believe he even knows what he wants," Severus explained, feeling the girl grip his robes tightly. He placed his hand on her lower back and held the witch just that much tighter.

"So, what does that mean?" She asked quietly, her voice muffled by her thick mane of hair and his arms.

"I will have to have a conversation with the Dark Lord, see where he is thinking of taking things. Hopefully, I will be able to share some things with Draco, bring him up to speed. He is just as much of victim in this as you are," he reasoned, coming up with the plan as he went. He wanted her to be comfortable, but he had the sneaking suspicion that the relationship between Draco and Hermione would be forced to continue. He had been attempting to come up with a way to get Hermione out of this, to let it just be between the two of them, but short of telling the Dark Lord that she would be much more lenient to sharing information with Severus, he didn't have many options.

"And what about the witch from London?" Hermione inquired softly. "I saw her when you were walking her about the castle, she could practically be Pansy Parkinson's mum." She pushed away from him gently, to look up into his eyes as he answered.

"Why do you say that?" He rebutted.

"Well, just her features, she looks... Well, she looked related is all, why?" The younger witch elaborated.

"Tessa's parents are purebloods. She was taken away from them as punishment when she was very young, and raised in a muggle family," he explained, watching her look away from him in contemplation.

"Practically a muggleborn," Hermione muttered.

"She reminds me a lot of you, very bookish. Which is part of the reason I wanted to talk to you," Severus

"Because she reminds you of me?" The younger witch blurted, a grin on her face that indicated she was only teasing him. He smiled back at her, the urge to kiss her returning quite powerfully as her beautiful brown eyes caught the light.

"Because I need you to know that you are my one and only priority and if that means getting you out of this mess with Draco, then I will do so by any means necessary. I will also never see Tessa again if that is what you want. She was nothing but an alibi for me," he stated firmly, bringing himself back down to earth from his adventure in her eyes.

"Does she like you?" Hermione asked plainly.

"What do you mean?" He rebuffed, eyeing her sceptically.

"Tessa, does she have feelings for you?" She rephrased partially.

"Frankly, I didn't know anyone could have feelings for me until you, so I have to say I'm not sure," he teased with a slight grin.

"I wish I could have met her, I'd probably be able to tell," she boasted, straightening her posture proudly. "Is she looking for her parents?"

"I believe so," he replied, his hands still resting on her shoulders. Having her near him was the closest thing to safety he had ever felt in his life. Any concern about her not feeling the same as him, or leaving him for another, was never truly present. He had moments, sure, of his own self-doubt. Whether he was good enough for her or could do enough for her. But she calmed all those fears every moment she looked at him.

"And she's using you to do it?" Hermione questioned, and he simply nodded in response. "Then you should help her. And keep seeing her. If it protects you from Dumbledore's suspicion. If she's a pureblood, maybe she can even help with vol- the Dark Lord as well," the brunette stated firmly.

"I believe she might be helpful, yes, but are you sure you're okay with it?" Severus questioned, stepping just a bit closer to her as if subtly hinting to her that there was nothing, no one, that could come between them.

"I'm mature and level-headed. I know you love me, and I trust you," she proclaimed proudly. He knew just how emotional the girl could get, but regardless she was just as she said: an incredibly mature, logical, and level-headed witch that he was impossibly in love with.

"You know I trust you too," he whispered, stepping just a bit closer just once more. She rested her forearms on his chest, her fingers playing the collar of his shirt and let out a soft giggle.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious with the amount of time's I've snogged Draco and you've just accepted it," she joked.

"Speaking of which, where were you at dinner?" He added softly. While he wasn't suspicious, the coincidence was something he was rather interested in.

"In my room, I really didn't want to feel like a student when you were parading around your girlfriend from the city," she said, but he waited for her to continue and the witch quickly caught his cue. "I wasn't with Draco."

"I trust you," he reiterated. "Either way, the only woman I would ever parade around is you, and our time will come," the potions master reassured, placing a finger under her chin and resting his forehead against hers.

"I know," she whispered. They stayed like that a moment before he leaned down and kissed her tenderly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him. He pushed on her back, pressing her form into his and held her as long as he could manage before they broke apart and she smiled up at him, licking her lip slowly then biting it.

"Anyway, back to Draco," he reverted, moving away from her just slightly to allow his mind room to breathe. "I know you are protecting me, helping me, and that most of the time you look positively nauseous when you're near him," Severus joked. "If you stop the performance, I will completely understand, but it may help the conversation with the Dark Lordprogresss a little better if he thinks it's going his way."

"I've been nauseous around everyone really," she commented with a laugh, but his eyebrows furrowed.

"Hermione, the times we've... Engaged, you've taken something, right? A contraceptive potion or something?" He asked.

"Well no... I wasn't aware I had to?" Hermione added as more of a question than an answer. His stomach fell.

"I believe that it helps to prevent pregnancy," Severus offered lamely, swallowing hard.

"Aren't the men supposed to wear a condom?" She rebuffed.

"A what?" He joked, attempting to lighten the mood a bit, even though he was internally panicked about the fallout of their reckless behaviour.

"Severus!" She gasped, a bit of a laugh lingering beneath it.

"What?" He asked, laughing as well as she slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Have you never had sex before?" She teased, a smile on her lips he was always thankful to see. "It's pretty commonplace, muggles or wizards, for the male to sport a contraceptive. Did you not wear something? A cond-" We really should have done a bit more research before jumping into this, I certainly should have. Why didn't I? He considered, wracking his brain for an excused a side from his perpetual inexperience.

"To be perfectly honest, my experience in the field is… limited," he confessed begrudgingly. She visibly swallowed and the teasing ceased.

"Limited?" Hermione repeated, and he responded with a simple nod. "Well, you're my- before you, I- Well I had only snogged before you," she offered back to his shock. He watched as she looked around the room, avoiding his gaze and chewing on her lip with intention.

"Not even Weasley?" He asked after a moment which caused her to roll her eyes and sigh.

"I can't believe I ever considered him a match," she grumbled. That would be a no, he determined.

"So, I took your… erm…" Severus' voice cracked slightly at the term refusing to leave his tongue. Given he was just as inexperienced as the witch, he was surprised by just how good she was for a witch who had never had sex before.

"Yes, you did. But you- you've had… sex before, right?" Her brown eyes burrowed into him and he swallowed nervously. You promised not to lie to her, his conscience berated.

"No, you were… Well, I have only ever loved two witches in my life and well… The first one wanted nothing to do with me. I haven't really had the time or desire really to engage in… sexual intercourse… before you," he explained, attempting not to wince at his confession. He genuinely had come to terms that he would die never having slept with anyone. So, at 37, it felt extraordinarily uncomfortable to confess to the witch he had slept with that she had been his first. While she was 19 years her junior, she was far more along in the romance department than he.

"Oh," her shock was quiet as she contemplated the news. She bit her lip and tried not to smile, he could tell by the way her cheek twitched. The self-conscious part of him worried she was laughing at him, but he knew in his heart that she was likely pleased that she was his only. "We really should have talked about this beforehand," she added with a nervous laugh.

"Yes." A pause clung in the air as they mutually thought over the consequences of their conversation. "So, you might be pregnant?" His voice breaking once more with anxiety. Fuck I must sound like a bloody teenager, he grumbled straightening his posture slightly. The panic was evident on her face, a flush of pink scattering over her cheeks. "I know the spell, but if you would prefer Madame Pomfrey to administer it, I have no problem-"

"No, Severus, no one can know," she whispered, gripping his arm and staring pleadingly into his eyes.

"Then shall we find out?"