Chapter 7
It was the break before lunch. Hermione sat outside on a bench in the courtyard, reading, while her former friends sat together on the other side of the yard and laughed about something. She tried to ignore them but it was difficult. Over and over she read the same sentence because she couldn't grasp its meaning.
"You should talk to them," someone suddenly spoke and startled her thereby.
Hermione looked up to see Professor Snape standing next to her. Apparently, he was on break duty.
She couldn't hide a small smile, for they got along very well. Since their first meeting, which had been five weeks ago, she had been with him every Friday evening. They had started with their brewing and researching which is why Hermione spent a lot of time in the library (nothing unusual, but it made her happy). But it was their talks in between and after the brewing that she treasured the most. Snape had continued to show his real self to her and it was wonderful – like a dream come true.
From week to week their friendship grew.
"No, I won't," she then answered his question firmly. She had spent a lonely birthday and the presents she had gotten from Harry, Ron and Ginny were still wrapped…
He sighed. "You're alone too often," he remarked. "If not always."
"Are you concerned about my well-being?" she smirked.
He rolled his eyes. "Miss Granger," he replied in a mock-severe tone, "it is my duty as a teacher to be concerned about the well-being of all my students."
Hermione merely chuckled.
"Do you have any idea who betrayed you?" he then wanted to know, glaring at her former friends.
"No," she answered bitterly.
"Not even a hunch?"
"To be honest I don't want to think about it… It hurts enough to know that even one of them could do something like this…"
"I know but still… You should talk to them. Let them explain, maybe it was all a huge misunderstanding."
"No, I won't!" she repeated stubbornly.
He sighed again. "Well, it's your decision."
"Yes, it is."
"Are you coming on Friday?" he then asked casually.
"Yes, of course," she said at once and smiled up at him.
"Good," he remarked and just walked away.
Hermione could have been affronted by this but she was not – she knew him well enough by now to know that he didn't intend to offend her. And she started to get the feeling that their time together meant something for him as well.