I really hate not being able to post more often. I'm spending a lot of time on my school work now and I'm also a Beta reader for a few people. Furthermore, I just joined my school's band so my time is being taken up. I'm going to make an effort to write more and get more chapters up. Hopefully. I always say that but it doesn't always work.

Anyway, here's another chapter. Please read and review it. I love to hear from my readers. It gives me motivation to keep writing the stories.

Of course, I don't own Harry Potter.

Draco was in the process of opening a letter from his mother when it disappeared into thin air. He looked up in time to see every other student appearing just as confused as he was. With a faint smile, he realized what must have happened when he saw that Dumbledore was eyeing his Potions Master, beckoning him to come with a crooked finger.

His lips were moving quickly and his old eyes were narrowed. Snape grew paler in color, if that was even possible as he listened to Dumbledore's words. At the conclusion of their brief exchange, he swept out of the Great Hall, his black robes billowing behind him.

He didn't look at Hermione on the way out.

The Hall went into an uproar. Angry students were getting to their feet, demanding to know why their mail was conjured away. The ancient old man sighed heavily and caught Hermione's eye. Then, he left the hall without any explanation, just as Severus had done.

The clever seventh-year girl wasted no time in gathering up her belongings and rushing after them. On the way out, she collided with more than one student but she didn't care. Harry and Ron's protests were ignored.

Out in the corridor, she stopped and looked around. It was deserted and she realized that she had no idea where either the Headmaster or her lover had gone.

Before she could make a decision on where to go, a strong hand gripped her arm and started dragging her away from the Great Hall. Startled, she was going to lash out until she saw Severus. His eyes were cold as he stared straight ahead, not even offering a glance her way. Hermione gulped, knowing that he was very angry.

He set a strong pace and, although she figured out that she was supposed to follow, he didn't release the grip he had on her arm. "Severus," she gasped, after she tripped and nearly fell. "What's going on?"

They rounded a corner then and she saw Dumbledore waiting for them. "Miss Granger. We're heading to my office." Dumbledore joined the awkward march to the Headmaster's Wing.

Stopped outside of the large statue that housed his office, Snape still hadn't released Hermione's arm. Her fingers were beginning to get cold and tingle with blood loss. She gave him a pleading look and he finally let her go, leaving her free to rub her arm where he had pulled her.

Locked safely in Dumbledore's office, both of them were handed copies of the Daily Prophet. There, on the front page, was an animated picture of the couple, flanked by a disgruntled image of Harry in the corner.

As she read the words of the notorious Rita Skeeter, Hermione's eyes grew wider and wider while the line of Severus' mouth became thinner and thinner.

"But how!" Her voice was shrill when she reached the end of the article. Childishly, she tossed the paper to the ground and jumped to her feet. "How did she find out? And why would the Prophet publish her rubbish?"

At his desk, Dumbledore was deep in thought. He folded his long fingers together in front of him, contemplating possible answers. After a few moments of silence, he spoke gently, "I don't know, Miss Granger. But this is a very delicate situation that we've found ourselves in. I will be summoning Rita on my own time but right now, we should be most concerned with the reaction of the outside world. I can only keep the mail from the student body for so long. But they aren't the ones I'm worried about. It's the parents."

"I'm nineteen! It shouldn't matter! I made the choice!"

He was shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. "That may be true, but it isn't going to matter to the parents of the students. Severus is a teacher." He nodded towards him. "The relationship isn't appropriate to those that don't understand."

Hermione just stomped her foot and crossed her arms, completely frustrated and worried. "I don't even know how that foul woman found out!" Staring at the floor, she racked her brain for the answer. A disgusted dawning look came to her face in no time at all.

Severus caught the look before she could speak. "No, Hermione. Potter may hate me but he wouldn't do such a thing. And Weasley doesn't have the gall to act alone. No… it must have been someone else."

"I agree, Severus." He sighed heavily, "But someone has it out for you two and we currently don't know who it is."

"So what do we do?" Hermione's voice piped up.

"I can't tell you. We'll have to fend off those parents. I'll do my best to keep the castle off limits from the press and worried people. What you do with your classmates will be your business."

"You aren't firing Severus?"

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Of course not. Tonks didn't quite fill his shoes and I'm not likely to find someone else for the job."

"So what are we going to do?" She repeated the question, because she couldn't think of the answer for once in her life.

The two men exchanged glances with each other, as though sharing some secret without speaking.

"What?"

Neither of them spoke. The tension in the air was almost tangible.

Finally, Albus spoke, eyeing her carefully. "There's only one way to quell this fire down, short of firing Severus and lying."

"And that is what?"

"Well," Severus walked in her direction but stopped a few feet short of her. "We could get married."