Returning to school was a dreary time for Hermione. For once In her life she didn't want to go back to school because she knew what it was like to be a girl and was re-living her teenage years. On Monday morning she opened the blinds at 8am and saw rain and more rain. It was soothing to hear, but made her feel miserable as she got ready for class.

She checked her emails before she left and saw that her biology class was cancelled. That really was a shame, but instead gave her time to finally write Harry that letter. She pulled out her diary and a piece of parchment. This was possibly the only link to the wizarding world she had other than her wand, but she kept that in a locked box at the top of her closet. No need for magic here. She pulled out a quill and an ink bottle and opened up her diary. She thought she opened it to an empty page but without knowing it pulled out a full diary she had written in her sixth year.

That greasy, slimy git! Another 10 page paper. That's the second one this week and it's only Wednesday! I hope he lightens up soon. It's not that I mind writing these, it's just that Ron and Harry are so annoying to hear blabbering on about how hard potions is. I could care less. And when they insult Severus like that… I have to play along. No one knows how I feel about that man. I don't even think I fully understand it! And to make matters worse, everyone is talking about an impending war… I hope it doesn't happen, I really don't. That probably means I won't ever see him and his greasy black hair again.

Hermione slammed the diary shut as tears welled in her eyes. She started to sob like a baby, remembering all the good times at Hogwarts and remembering Severus. She missed him, and those five years after the war she spent in therapy and recovery and then in the real world, she thought about him every day and it gave her strength. Of course she's always had a crush on him. People think he's a dark, slimy character, but Hermione saw through that. Even if he was a stick in the mud to her, she still adored him.

Hermione eventually stopped crying and found a blank diary. She then started to write Harry a letter. When she finished she thought about how she would send it. Regular muggle post wouldn't send it. She tucked the piece of parchment away in her pocket and decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron being she was in London.

It wasn't far from the school, but she had no intentions of visiting it really, even if she was in London. She wanted to connection to her past whatsoever, especially since the wounds were still around and it still hurt her to think about. When she entered it was practically empty, even some of the usual's weren't there. She looked at the bartender who smiled a crooked smile at her.

"Can I get somethin' fur ya miss? Blimey you're Miss Hermione Granger."

Hermione nodded and handed him the letter. "Do you think you could do me a favor and send this to St. Mungo's?"

The bartender smiled and nodded. "Anything for a hero in the war."

Hermione half smiled and left the bar quickly. She didn't miss that place at all. As she walked back to the school, she saw Professor Smith walking in her direction, but not looking at her. She ran behind a building and watched him. He walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione didn't think muggles could see that place. She walked back to the door and quickly slipped in. She sat at a far corner and started reading a daily prophet on the table. Professor Smith sat at the bar and looked around. She knew there was something fishy about this man. She looked at her watch and saw that her chemistry class was going to start in 30 minutes and was wondering why he was here. She looked back at the paper and noticed an article about Harry doing better in the hospital, same with Ron. She smiled but didn't want to go back to that life. She put the paper down and walked out of the bar, but before she could leave the bartender yelled her name out. As he did, Professor Smith had disappeared, leaving Hermione confused.

She walked back to the school to get her books and to get to class. When she walked in she saw Professor Smith in there early so she decided to go ask him.

"Professor, I don't mean to sound odd but were you at the Leaky Cauldron?"

His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? There is no such thing in London."

Hermione shook her head. "Do you have a twin or something? The Leaky Cauldron is on Charing Cross Road."

Professor Smith thought for a second. "Charing cross road… oh yes! There's a beaten down shack there. There is no pub called the leaky cauldron there and I have no twin. Now if you could kindly take your seat, we're about to begin." He said starting to get very defensive. Hermione nodded and went to the back of the room. She didn't want to pry but she knew she needed to now.

That night she told the girls she couldn't hang out for dinner. At 9 o clock is was already pitch black so Hermione put on dark clothes and took out a locked box in her closet. She unlocked it and took out her wand. She looked at it and smiled. She then tucked it into her back pocket and started walking towards the professor's office.

When she got into the school, she took out her wand and whispered lumos. She was lucky tonight that there was a power outage which made her that much more undercover. When she got to the office she whispered alohomora and entered his office. She shut the door behind her and moved her wand around. She heard someone breathing quietly right by the door. She whipped around with her wand and saw Professor Smith pinned up against a corner with his hand covering his mouth.

"I knew it! You are alive!" Hermione said with anger and glee. Professor Smith took his hand off his mouth and thought about talking his way out of this but realized it was futile.

"Put away your wand Miss Granger, we can't have muggles knowing about us." Hermione tucked her wand into her back pocket, making the room pitch black. Then, without thinking, ran over to Snape and wrapped her arms around him. Snape really didn't know what to think of this but sighed and wrapped his arms around her as well. He heard her start to sob and patted her back.

"There, there Miss Granger. No need for alarm. We're safe here."

Hermione pulled away and apologized for her actions. Snape snickered a bit and told her to have a seat so he could explain.

"Somehow, the dark lord spared my life. I played dead on the battle field and when everyone was gone or dead I scurried away with the bit of energy I had left. I packed all of my things, cut off my hair and came here to live a muggle life. I was admitted to a muggle hospital and after I was released I applied to be a chemistry teacher at the University. I forged papers from a muggle university and was accepted for the position. I've been teaching here ever since the war and until now had stayed under cover."

Hermione wanted to feel shock but she had known it all along.

"But Miss Granger, you need to understand that no one else knows of my whereabouts and there are new death eaters trying to live in the dark lord's tradition. If they found me here… I'd be dead within seconds, and I reckon you would be as well. We need to put away everything, including our wands, that are linked to magic."

Hermione understood. "Yes Severus."

"You can't always call me that, you know that yes?"

"Yes Samuel."

Snape laughed a bit and asked for Hermione's wand. She gave it to him hesitantly and he put it away in his office for safe keeping. "You know, you're not a strict as you were at Hogwarts."

"My life has changed Miss Granger, and I believe for the better. Plus, no student liked me at Hogwarts, I don't want it to be the same here." He said with a chuckle. "Also, neither of us should visit the Leaky Cauldron. If we do, we go together to make sure neither of us gets caught or seen. I know that bartender saw you, but he's as dumb as a doorknob so we'll be fine."

Hermione nodded again and the lights switched on. The power had come back. Hermione smiled as did Severus.

"Well, off to bed now Miss Granger."

It felt so good knowing it wasSeverus saying that and not some muggle who would torture her memory of Snape. Hermione wanted to tell him about how she felt knowing he was alive and wanted to lunge at him and kiss him. But she knew that wouldn't be her wisest decision. She stood up from the chair, nodded and wished Snape a goodnight. He smiled, waited until she was out the door and shut it.

Severus went towards his desk, pulled out the chair and sat in it. He put his hands to his head, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He didn't want anyone to know but he figured she would find out eventually. She was a very sharp witch. He opened a drawer to his right and took out a bottle of red wine and a glass which he kept there for dire times. He poured himself a glass and stayed in his office the rest of the night at his desk, eventually falling asleep there while making a lesson plan for the next day.