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

Severus didn't trust Harry.

The lunch invitation was too sudden. First, Harry believed his best friend was crazy, and now he wanted to have a casual chat with her? It didn't take being a spy to know something wasn't right. The only question was what Harry hoped to accomplish.

"I don't know what Harry would do other than have a talk with me about…" She set her plate of spaghetti onto the table. "Well, you know."

"Why over lunch though?" Severus took his place across from her. "Wouldn't this be a conversation best saved for an evening so you two aren't pressed for time?"

"It does seem that this should take longer than an hour."

"It could easily take all night. Why is Harry rushing things?"

"He may just want to let everything go."

"Do you truly believe that?"

Her eyes betrayed her doubt.

"Please, don't let yourself be set up for something."

"I'm not setting myself up," she took her seat. "There may be a logical reason for speaking over lunch. Maybe he thinks talking in the evening will drag on for too long. Maybe he wants to get past everything, and keeping it light is the only way he knows how."

"Even you must admit that does not sound right."

"It doesn't," she twirled her spaghetti around her fork. "Still, I can't think of any nefarious plan he may have."

"I never said he was up to a nefarious plan." He tapped his finger onto the table. "Even at his worst, Potter is incapable of being nefarious."

"You know." She gave him a small grin. "That may be one of the nicest things you've ever said about him."

"I have never attempted to be cruel, only honest about him."

"You honestly find a way to hold a grudge against him."

"If he hadn't splattered my story all over the papers…"

"I know." She took a bite.

"That being said," he sat up straighter. "He seems to be a good enough friend that he would mean you no harm. Whatever he has planned, he must think it is in your best interests"

She swallowed.

"I only hope this bump in the road can be overcome, if only to restore your sense of well being." He turned blue. "I would never want you to sacrifice the good things in your life to be with me."

"I'm not sacrificing any of the good things in my life" She took a sip of wine. "I'm finally living my best life."

"I would hope so."

She kept her eyes on him. His mind was going a mile a minute. Something was tugging at him. If she was patient he would reveal all soon enough.

"Does it not strike you as odd that you did not start living until a dead man came into your life?" Severus' voice was soft.

"First of all, you aren't some dead man."

"True, I am your former professor."

"Yes," her lips twitched upwards. "And you are also the man I love."

"Just as you are the woman I love."

She took another sip of wine.

"Still, I cannot help but wonder if we would have found each other had the Trinity not thrown us together," he continued. "Surely you would not have been lusting after a former professor if we were not thrown together."

"I think the Trinity would have found a way for us to find each other."

"How?"

"Well, I did attend a prestigious university, one which hosted a series of conferences. Surely you would have been to one of them."

"I would have tried to go to as many conference as possible, if only to see which university professorships were available."

"I would have attended one of your talks, struck up a conversation…"

"I would have called you an insufferable know-it-all…."

"And I would have laughed you off."

"You would have had the audacity to laugh in my face?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Well, laugh may be a strong word." She scratched the table. "But I would have been more interested in the academic conversation than hurt at your jabs."

"You always were determined to accomplish whatever you'd set your mind to."

"I am quite determined." The playfulness returned to her eyes. "I would have barraged you with questions, and you would have answered all of them, if only to remind everyone of how intelligent you were."

"I would have secretly reveled in the attention though." His glow brightened.

"I would have picked up on it, which is why we would have talked for hours."

"Would it have been that easy to persuade you to love me?"

"Once you started speaking to me in that tone of voice you always use with me, I would have forgotten that any other man existed."

"And after basking in your brilliance, I would have forgotten that any other woman existed."

"And hopefully," she sighed. "It would have been that simple."

"Of course it wouldn't have been," his glow was yellow. "We are too complicated for anything to be simple."

"Yet it wouldn't have been more complex than this."

"That goes without saying."

"Still," her lips curled upwards. "I love you, and I'm convinced in any timeline I would love you just as ardently. That is not complicated to me."

"No, that is not complicated for me either." Severus was pink.

They basked in the comfort of each other.

Perhaps this reality was anything but simple, but they had each other. In the end, that was worth everything.

Of course the one time he needed Rita Skeeter was the week of her vacation!

"I'm sorry, I won't do it." Betty Braithwaite tossed the file across her desk back into Cormac's arms.

"Why not?" Cormac hissed and leaned closer to her. "I'm giving you the story of a lifetime. Hermione Granger is insane! Isn't that worth reporting?"

"Honestly," she replied. "No."

Cormac's eyes grew.

"Seeking much needed mental help is not worthy of the news." Betty folded her hands onto the oaken desk and deepened her frown. "At least not news I would like to report."

"She's a member of the Golden Trio! Anything she does is worthy of news."

"Does that mean if she poops I have to put it on the front page?" Betty smirked.

Cormac scowled.

"Let me explain a few things to you. My niece's name is Beatrice. She works at a place called Paradisio Books." Betty leaned in closer. "I am all too aware of your obsession with Hermione."

Cormac's heart stopped.

"I have no idea why you couldn't take a hint earlier, but you have now, which is best for everyone." She continued. "That being said, I won't put the integrity of the paper in jeopardy because you're a scorned lover."

"She's crazy though!"

"Then you should be grateful you got out of the situation and begin to pursue someone else."

"I still think this is amazing news you're passing up." He sat up straighter. "It isn't the wisest career choice to let such a story slip on by."

"I care far more about not helping a sexual harasser than I do about my career."

"You'll care when I get you fired!"

"Mr. McLaggen, is that a threat?" She gave him the most innocent expression she could muster.

"I am stating facts," he spat. "I could get you fired right here and now."

"And I could interview my niece and expose your abhorrent behavior."

"You'd lose your job!"

"If you're going to fire me anyway, why should I care?"

Cormac pursed his lips.

"If I were you, I would find someone who actually cares about you and pursue her. Put Hermione out of your mind and move on."

"She's insane and deserves to be exposed for it."

"Find someone else to expose her. I'll have no part in it."

Cormac ground his teeth.

"I'm not helping you. Goodbye."

"You'll pay for this!" Cormac shot up. "I'll make sure you pay for this!"

"How?" She drawled. "All I did was refuse to cover a story because other than your word, I had nothing to go on. How is that a crime?"

He crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Betty rose. "I have real stories to cover."

"I'll leave you to them then." Cormac growled.

Betty strolled to the door and opened it. "If you don't mind, I would prefer you not stay in my office while I'm gone."

With a snarl, Cormac stomped out of the room.

Betty shut the door behind him and exhaled.

At first, she hadn't known whether or not to believe Beatrice about Cormac. There were so many women who hung on his every word. Why want the one woman who didn't want him? Why risk his career for a woman who didn't love him? After seeing him in action though, her next course of action was becoming clearer.

It was time to put together that expose into Ministry corruption.