AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Neither Hermione nor Severus wanted to discuss last night.

It wasn't that she didn't have things she wanted to say to him. It was ridiculous that was that Dr. Marsh was in love with someone else. Yet if she mentioned that she would be tempted to reveal that she was finding herself in a similar predicament? If she explained everything, would he be repulsed by her growing attachment to him? Would he find her sentiments refreshing, or would he be infuriated that she could interfere with his mission? Would he decide a century in Purgatory was better than dealing with a lovestruck former student?

Lovestruck?

Hermione's heart sank as she took her bowl of chicken soup over to the table.

Was Luna right in that she was falling for Severus?

Severus took his place across from her, unsure of his next move. So far he'd kept the conversation focused upon making soup, not on her date. He didn't want to tell her how pleased he was that Sirius told him things had not gone as well as he'd hoped. If he mentioned his flicker of joy at knowing she would not be in another man's arms, would she be repulsed? Would she find the bond they'd been forming comforting, or would she be nauseous at the thought of a former professor feeling any type of deep affection for her? Would she believe him if he said that he would rather be in Purgatory with her than in heaven alone?

Heaven? His glow dimmed as he watched her take her first bite of soup. When did heaven become anything less than his main goal?

Was Sirius right that he was falling for Hermione?

"This soup is delicious."

He startled as he turned white.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, you did nothing wrong." His glow returned to its normal hue. "I was musing over something."

"Care to share?"

"Not particularly."

She ate in silence while he glanced at Crookshanks picking at the kibble in his cat bowl.

"Are things getting worse for you in Purgatory?" Hermione asked.

He turned to her.

"I know it must be difficult spending so much time with Sirius. If you need someone to talk to, I'm around."

"Things are going just fine in the afterlife, but I appreciate your concern."

"Good," She took another spoonful of soup. "Still if I'm doing something wrong please tell me. I want to help you in any way I can. I don't want to be the reason you're kicked out of the program."

"There is no need to fret about me staying in the program. For the foreseeable future, I am your spiritual friend."

She relaxed.

"That being said, I do have one question," he began. "One which admittedly I find difficult to ask."

"What?"

His glow dimmed. "How was your dinner with Dr. Marsh last night?"

"Oh that." She set down her spoon. "I suppose I haven't said much about it, have I?"

"If I didn't have such a good memory I would have forgotten completely that you were on it."

"I haven't wanted to talk about it, mostly because it's a little embarrassing."

"Was it a disaster?"

"Not exactly," She swallowed. "But we decided we were better off as friends."

He kept his mouth closed..

"Don't get me wrong he's a sweet man, and I'm lucky to be his friend. Any woman would be lucky to have him as a partner."

"Except you apparently."

"Yes." She picked up her spoon. "It's fine though. I cannot see it developing into anything more. In fact, he's in love with a fellow English professor."

"An English Professor?" He raised an eyebrow.

She nodded. "He wanted me to see if he could get his mind off of her. Apparently I am a poor substitute."

"He's a dunderhead if he thought any woman could compare to you."

"He has his tastes," she mumbled the next words, "And I have mine."

"You do not seem disappointed."

"There's nothing to be disappointed about. We were never meant to be. I'm just happy to know that now instead of discovering it a year from now."

"At least this way you have not wasted much time."

"Exactly." She took another bite. "One dinner is much better than five years wasted on a dead end relationship."

"Indeed." He watched the steam waft from the soup. The recipe he'd used was one of the few things his mother had taught him. When he was eight, they had fixed it together while his father was on a weekend long drinking binge. For a moment he felt as if he was her son, as if she loved him on some level.

"I hope your mission is not set too far back by me not finding true love."

"It wasn't a problem at all. In fact I'm quite fortunate you realized how ill-suited you were for him." He returned his attention to her. "It would have been a great setback if you stayed in a relationship which was going nowhere for years, causing you to become increasingly unhappy. I would have needed to remain with you and try to determine where things were going awry."

"Would it be so terrible if you remained with me?" Her voice was soft.

"No," his glow was a warm shade of yellow. "It would not have been terrible at all. In fact, it makes me quite happy to be sharing my time with you."

She gave him a small grin.

"Still, I want you to be happy, even if that means I am no longer by your side."

"What if you leaving won't make me happy at all?"

He titled his head. "How could my presence make you happy?"

"Your presence in my life has been one of the few things which has gone right in my life."

"You are the first person to say that."

"It's the truth though." She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "I've been stuck in a rut for years, either hating half the world or burying myself in work. Then you come along, and I have someone to talk to in the evenings, someone who can understand complex academic theories, someone to make me laugh even when he's being a snarky arse."

Severus chuckled as his glow became pink.

"The only thing I could think of during that date was how Dr. Marsh could never be the person you are."

"I would hope he is not like me. If he was me he would be very miserable indeed."

"If he had the experiences you did then he would be miserable, but if he had your wit and unique charm he would be very blessed indeed."

"Charm?" He cocked his head.

"Yes, when you are relaxed you have a way of making recipes and theories come alive. There is a fire in your eyes I haven't seen in anyone else's."

"That is a glow, not a facial expression."

"No, it's more than your glow. When you're interested in something your expression is different from anything else I've seen."

"You must not have been around many ambitious people then."

"I've been around plenty of ambitious people, but very few of them wanted to make a meaningful impact in the world, not like you do."

"So now I'm selfless?"

"Around me, yes."

His glow was yellow once more.

"Your glow only enhances the effect of your expressions."

"I suppose I do appear more handsome thanks to the glow." He smirked. "I suppose that's fortunate for me. The Trinity knows I've almost forgotten what I look like without it."

"It isn't just that," Hermione continued. "Thanks to the glow I can discern your emotions more easily. I know where I stand with you. It's a relief because I feel we can honestly communicate."

"I suppose the inability to occlude would make it easier to discern my mood."

"It makes it much easier. When I was a student you were so closed off, more so than anyone I've ever met. Now that you're free to be yourself. Now that you aren't spying you're relaxed. It's easier to form a relationship with you."

"That is in part because I have no interest in pushing you away."

"I am grateful for that."

"There is no reason to turn you away. You are intelligent, witty, deserve so much better than you've received in life, yet around me you are not embittered. I have never met anyone like you, and I am privileged to know you." His glow was pink.

She giggled. "I love it when your glow is pink. It's so cute."

He frowned as his glow returned to its regular hue. "If you believe I am cute then I would strongly recommend getting your eyes checked."

"They work just fine."

"I beg to differ."

She laughed as she placed her hand over his.

He gazed into her eyes. "Would you like me to touch you?"

"I didn't think you could."

"They said I could touch anything you wanted me to. I would assumed that includes you." He removed his hand from under hers.

"I wish you could touch me," she whispered.

He put his hands over hers.

Hermione's pupils dilated. She could not feel skin upon her hands, but she could feel an overwhelming peace. Pure love radiated from her hand into the rest of her body. The closest thing she could compare it to was a deep kiss, but that was inadequate. Whatever this was touched not only her body, but her soul.

Severus' glow intensified. He had never felt such peace and love in his life. It inundated his entire existence. It was as if their souls were fusing together, though it was more powerful than either of them could have imagined.

"Severus." She breathed.

His mind returned to the present, the present where his goal was to reach heaven, not seduce the woman before him.

He slipped his hand away from hers. "I uh, did not know that would occur."

"I, I didn't either." Her eyes glistened. "What was that?"

"Something which should not happen again."

"What?" The dreaminess was gone from her expression.

"Hermione, I don't know what this is, but it cannot and should not continue."

"What exactly do you think is happening between us?"

"Something which should not be allowed to continue."

"Why not?"

"Because this mission is only going to last for so long. Eventually the Trinity will recall me to the afterlife, and where will you be then?"

"Wishing I was with you."

"Exactly."

"No." She shook her head. "That's going to happen regardless of what you do. I am going to want you with me whether you are on earth or heaven."

He was bleach white.

"Don't you understand? I don't know what we feel towards each other, but I know it's the deepest, most powerful sensation I've ever felt. You felt it too!" She argued.

"I did, and the sensation was deep on my end as well, yet…"

She slumped. "You need to be in heaven."

"I don't know," his glow was pulsing. "I don't know what I feel about any of this anymore."

"I don't either," she argued. "All I know is I never want it to end."

"Never is a long time."

"I know, but," she exhaled. "I'm being selfish in wanting you by my side, aren't I?"

"No, you aren't, because I want the same thing. I just don't know what's possible, nor do I understand what has just happened."

"I don't either, but I want it to happen again."

"It can't happen again."

"Why?"

"Because." He stood. "I need to leave."

"That's it? We've just had the most powerful experience of our existence and you're going to leave?" She snapped.

"I cannot allow this to become more complicated than it is."

"How is leaving going to help?"

"It will allow me to know more."

"How?"

"I'm going to talk to someone. Yes, I will speak with someone about what just occurred."

She closed her mouth.

"I will return tomorrow night, I promise. Right now, I need to make some inquiries."

"Okay." She mouthed.

With that, he disappeared from sight.

Hermione screamed, sending Crookshanks running into the living room.

Why was she an expert at ruining any relationship she had with someone she had come to love?

Have a nice weekend!