"That's enough!", Hermione cried and knocked over a jar of ink in her angry heat. "Enough!"

Severus didn't say anything, and his face maintained its icy and spiteful expression.

He had been vile towards her. Again. They'd only been back from their Christmas break for a month, but his mood stability had decreased drastically.

Hermione was at the end of her tether, being very close to be defeated by his temper. There was only one thing she could think of anymore.

"We're leaving", she stated. "I will not spend my life like this. We are leaving at the end of this year, and that's the end of this discussion."

She grabbed her papers and made her way to leave his rooms.

"How very attentive of you to consult me in this matter", he sneered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and scowling at her from above. "It might have escaped your notice, but I do not usually listen to former students for life advice. And I certainly don't need a Miss Know-it-all to tell me what to do, thank you kindly."

The scorn in his tone was undeniable and Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't find any way anymore to cope with his anger and hatred.

"Fine", she said, chocked up and trying hard to keep her voice from crackling. "You do whatever you like. I am leaving. I repeat, I will not live like this."

With that said, she left the room, making sure to close the door as violently as one could possibly do.

Only a short while after Hermione had left, it dawned upon Severus what she had said. She was right, they couldn't live like this. In clear moments he had come to the conclusion himself. The relief that rushed over him the second he left the castle grounds was undeniable. The feeling he experienced when he was living the life outside these walls was something he had never experienced. He destroyed himself by staying here and consequently, he destroyed Hermione and their relationship.

It needed no further overthinking, and he left his rooms to follow Hermione. He met her on the Charms corridor, she was just leaving her office and the look on her face was frighteningly determined.

"Let's talk…", he tried to slow her down.

"I have to sort out my things now. I am sorry", she snapped and walked past him.

Severus quickly scanned the corridor, to make sure there were no students or staff members around, before he followed her hastily.

"What… where are you going?", he asked coolly, trying to hide his uneasiness.

She turned around to him and gave him a resolute look.

"I am handing in my resignation."

"No…", he breathed and shook his head slightly. "Hermione, wait a moment."

Before she could make another move into the direction of Minerva's office, he stepped into her way and held her softly by the arm.

"Wait… wait for me", he said flatly, but she knew his eyes and they betrayed him.

"Wait until… I have my meeting with Minerva before the February break. Wait for me."

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him thoughtfully. He could tell that she didn't quite understand him.

"We… might as well resign together."

She didn't say anything or smile, she only eyed him thoughtfully another moment, before her gaze drifted down onto the letter in her hands and she nodded in agreement.

On a cloudy morning in May, Minerva watched Severus gulping his third cup of coffee at breakfast. He hadn't even eaten half a toast, and she wondered how he wasn't dead yet.

It had taken her by surprise when Hermione had come to Severus's pre-full-tenure performance review, and even more when they had informed her about both of their resignations.

She had suspected Severus's resignation. He had been a surprisingly good teacher and she had really hoped that he would have stayed, but only a completely sense-deprived person would have not noticed the obvious tension and misery that surrounded him.

However, nothing had prepared her for the blow that came with the announcement of their relationship. It had caused her sleepless nights over how she could have missed their mutual affection, when now it seemed very obvious to her.

She had kept an eye on both of them over the past months, and although there were no hints or indiscretions, for the knowing onlooker it was perceivable that they were deeply in love. It had been a mystery to her, Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, two so fundamentally different characters, and yet they complemented one another in a way that Minerva had never witnessed before.

It pained her to lose the both of them. They were extraordinary people, with unimaginable talent and immeasurable skills, yet she could understand that the world had more to offer the both of them than a tenured position at Hogwarts.

She sighed heavily and took her eyes of Severus, letting her gaze wander to the Slytherin House table. They had needed a capable Head of House. She had highly appreciated Horace's work but she had known that he simply taught them to keep their heads down to avoid conflict of any kind. She had hoped that Severus would bring back some of Slytherin's former pride.

However, Mr Malfoy, or Healer Draco Malfoy as he was called now, would do just as well, and possibly even better. He was one of the few Slytherins that had gained and kept a formidable public reputation, not shying back from the new government and speaking out in favour of it. Additionally, Poppy was relieved to hand over her position to a skilled healer and reduce her hours to part-time. He had been coming to the Hospital Wing only for a couple of months before Minerva had approached him, and was probably thrown a little bit into the deep end, but she was glad that she could welcome him back to Hogwarts.

As for Severus and Hermione, Minerva was sure that the world would hold nothing but opportunity and excitement for them.