Thanks, as always, to my best friend and beta, s and h forever. She is quite literally the reason this story is in existence.
Thanks to all of you who continue to read this. Special thanks to those of you who have reviewed. Your feedback is priceless.
"There is a secret that we keep. I won't sleep if you won't sleep. Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given. We are compelled to do what we must do. We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden." (The Secret's in the Telling, by Dashboard Confessional)
Severus opened the door to see the Headmaster standing in the corridor, practically bouncing with the energy and cheer that never seemed to leave him. Snape yet again found himself wondering how he had managed to put up with the old man for so long. If there was one thing he could never tolerate, it was perkiness and bubbly personalities; it took all his strength for him not to throttle Lavender Brown every time she was in his class. His dislike of Dumbledore's disposition, on occasion, even threatened to overshadow the immense respect he had for the man's intellect. He covertly rolled his eyes in frustration before addressing Dumbledore.
"Good evening, Headmaster, how can I be of service to you? I'm rather busy at the moment, but I am sure that –"
"Ah, Miss Granger!" Dumbledore interrupted Severus swiftly, lifting his half-moon spectacles to look further into the room. He brushed past an increasingly perturbed Severus Snape without waiting for an invitation to enter, moving over towards the bed where Hermione was resting. "I suspected that I would find you here. How are you feeling? You've given the school quite a scare, you know! But I'm glad to see that, while you might be looking a little peaked, your health is certainly improving!"
From Hermione's position in the bed, Dumbledore seemed much taller as he beamed at her from above. She suddenly felt like a small child in the care of her grandfather; she reasoned that it must have been the result of something in his tone. His appearance, of course, certainly also lent itself to the image in her mind. She wondered for a brief moment if this was how Harry felt when being lectured by the Headmaster. She hoped it wasn't; it was a bit unsettling. She was about to respond to Dumbledore's initial inquiry after her current condition, but Snape snapped at the Headmaster before she had the chance.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Hermione was startled by the frankness with which Severus spoke to the Headmaster. She thought he ought to have shown a little more reserve but silently mused that most of the meetings between Severus and Dumbledore must proceed in this manner. She was sure that Severus would never loosen his grip on his emotions unless he felt at complete liberty to do so. Her theory seemed to prove correct; Dumbledore had no reaction at all to Snape's outburst and merely continued the conversation.
"Well, it is not difficult to imagine that young Miss Granger's days of disappearance would have given the Hogwarts community a reason to be distressed. And as Headmaster, I thought it would be wise to check in on -"
"Not that, you fool," Severus exclaimed, already thinking of how wonderful it would be if he were able to banish the Headmaster from the dungeons. It didn't take much these days. "You said that you suspected she'd be here! It seems highly improbable to my mind that you would come to such a conclusion. Explain yourself, Albus. Neither of us has the time for your twisted mind games now. I've had enough of them already."
Hermione noticed the sharp glance that passed between the two men, suspecting that they each knew more than they were willing to say aloud. She felt the familiar ache that accompanied these glimpses of knowledge that she could not fully reach. It seemed as though information about Severus was always just out of her grasp, as though her fingertips started to brush across some new discovery only to startle it and cause it to fly away. It was infuriating to her, but she was too tired now to care as much as she normally would. She simply let the conversation unfold. She agreed with Severus, after all; she didn't know how the Headmaster would assume she was in the dungeons.
"Oh, it was nothing, Severus," Dumbledore replied rather unconvincingly and too exuberant for his own good. "I was simply sure that if Miss Granger's condition was severe enough that your extensive stores would be more appropriate to care for her than Poppy's, she would be resting here. It appears I was correct! Although I must admit, you both seem rather on edge this fine afternoon. Is there anything you'd care to discuss with me?" Albus reached his true point and looked to Hermione with the same look she saw in his eyes when she met with him the night she sought refuge in the Room of Requirement. Searching for a way out of the situation she and Severus now found themselves in, she clamored for the perfect thing to say. It had worked for her the last time, hadn't it?
"No, sir. Everything's alright now. I'm just thankful that Sev- Professor Snape was able to help me. Thank you for checking on me, but I'm feeling much better and should be able to return to classes tomorrow. I –"
"Hermione, just let it go." Snape sighed in resignation, dragging a hand wearily over his face. "The Headmaster knows of our dilemma, don't you, Albus? That's really why you're here. There's no use in lying to me, I can see it in your mind." He stated this without the pointed abruptness of his usual speaking tone. Instead, his response was a weary one, as though the game Dumbledore had made them play before being forthright had completely exhausted him.
Hemione's mouth dropped open as her mind grappled with the idea that Dumbledore could have known about her relationship with Severus. She suddenly felt ashamed and afraid that her actions would result in disaster. She could be expelled, and Severus could be fired; their futures could be ruined forever. They would be forced to separate. She was desperate to make things right.
"Professor! I have no idea what you're talking about. The independent study has been going so incredibly well; I can't imagine what situation to which you would be referring! I-" Hermione had intended to go on, although she knew she was just rambling, but she was stopped by the cough that erupted deep from within her chest. It seemed that she wasn't entirely better after all.
"Miss Granger, there is no need for an excuse, however amusing it might have been if your condition had allowed you to continue. Severus is right. I've known about, what shall I call it… the residual effect of your independent study with Professor Snape… for quite some time, and neither of you are to be punished. Calm yourself; you are in no need of any additional stress at this moment." Dumbledore finally sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, entertained by the looks of confusion on both Severus' and Hermione's faces. Assuming that the heavy silence filling the room would continue unless he intervened, Albus continued to speak.
"I must commend you on your discretion, to be sure. There is no doubt in my mind that the entire Hogwarts community is ignorant of your mutual attraction. Bravo. We've had these same kinds of issues in the school's past, and let me assure you, none of them have been handled this gracefully. Actually, none of them ended well. Hexing is an awfully dangerous business…" The Headmaster's speech suddenly trailed off as Dumbledore became lost in thought.
Severus knew all too well of Dumbledore's penchant for the cryptic and dramatic. One only had to listen to the Headmaster's welcoming speeches at the beginning of each term to discern that fact. He cleared his throat loudly to call him back to attention and rolled his eyes.
Hermione could only assume that this was another common addition to the conversations held between the two men in front of her. She stifled back a giggle; to her, Severus and Dumbledore were behaving almost like an old, married couple. The thought was absolutely ludicrous and served to calm her down after Dumbledore's admission. Fortunately, she wasn't left with her thoughts for too long; Albus had finally broken free from his reverie.
"Anyway, the past is over and we must look towards the future!"
"Point well taken, Albus," Severus finally interjected. "However, if you don't mind my asking, since we were, as you call it, so discreet, how exactly did you discover the nature of our relationship?" While speaking, he had moved over to sit by Hermione on the bed and took her hand in his own. He was certain she would be uncomfortable discussing matters of such a personal nature with her beloved Headmaster.
"Fair enough," Dumbledore replied. "I suppose I owe you both an explanation. Hermione, didn't you ever wonder why I announced your independent study with Severus without ever asking why you had requested a meeting with me in the first place?" Albus smiled as he saw a fiery reaction in Hermione, followed by a questioning look from Severus.
"I did more than wonder about it, Headmaster. I was positively livid when I arrived at your office and Severus was there. I don't think I've ever been so angry in my life!" She gave Dumbledore a small smile, thinking back to the days when she was convinced that Severus had hated her. It felt like it was both only yesterday and ages ago. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She suddenly felt a nudge to her side and turned to see Severus smirking at her.
"Yes. While we're at it, why don't you tell me about that, Hermione?" Although Ginny had already told the professor about Hermione's forced decision to meet with Dumbledore, Severus preferred to hear Hermione's version of the story. He also hoped that by telling him now, Hermione would never need to know the extent of what her best friend had divulged to him. Snape didn't want to be the cause of a rift between the two Gryffindors.
"Um… well, actually, I was going to meet with him about you. To be honest, you made the beginning of my year absolute hell. I couldn't comprehend why you were so cruel to me, more than ever before, and when Harry saw how upset and sick I was getting, he threatened to talk to Dumbledore himself if I didn't. So I arranged a meeting after the Christmas holiday in an attempt to arrange for an alternate Potions class, but when I got there, I found out about our little independent study. I was miserable then, but I guess I'm glad I never had an opportunity to protest. I still don't understand why you were so bitter and mean to me, Severus."
Snape opened his mouth to respond, but heard Dumbledore's voice instead of his own.
"Well, that's a conversation for you and Severus to have at another time. And you're quite right, Hermione, I hardly gave you a chance to explain why you wanted to meet with me. In fact, I doubt I would have entertained any hesitancy about the arrangement I worked out for you and Severus. But I suppose it's time for me to be honest with you both. My intentions for you in this independent study were not purely academic, although the furthering of Miss Granger's magical education through her work with you, Severus, has certainly been remarkable. Hermione, I've watched you grow these past six years, along with the rest of the Hogwarts community. I doubt many know you better than we do. And, Severus, I've known you for longer than I'm sure we'd both care to admit. It's been so long since I've seen you happy, Severus, since you…"
Hermione frowned as Dumbledore cut himself off mid-sentence. He had obviously been about to reveal something regarding Severus' past. She didn't have long to consider what the Headmaster might have said; he continued to charge on with his explanation.
"Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more I saw the similarities between you and our Miss Granger, here. Your shared stubbornness, dedication, and respect for all things intellectual, convinced me that you would do each other a world of good. I knew you two would never realize it for yourselves, so I devised this little assignment in the hopes that this very event would happen. I discovered the nature of your relationship because I knew what I was looking for! I must admit, your association has been one of my more brilliant successes! I've dabbled in matchmaking for some years now, and as I alluded to, my endeavors have not all ended well. What can I say? On occasion, I simply cannot control my curiosity. So, congratulations! Knowing you both, I'm sure you've stayed within the boundaries of the Hogwarts faculty code of conduct, and as long as you continue to do so, I can see no reason to interfere in your relationship!" He smiled widely at Severus and Hermione, who sat together on the bed, completely in shock. It was Severus that finally broke the trance that he and Hermione were both under.
"YOU WHAT? How could you possibly have thought it would be a good idea to throw two people together like that? Do you realize what we've gone through? Did you think of how badly this could have gone? How badly it could still go. I cannot believe –"
"Stop, Severus!" Hermione shouted, now kneeling on the bed so she could wrap her arms around him in support. "There's no use in being upset now. His idea did work for us, no matter how invasive it was. Really, we should be thanking him. I never would have thought any of this would happen, and now that we know it's all thanks to Dumbledore… well, yes it's awkward, but now we know we're going to be okay."
"Hermione," he whispered, turning his head to her, "we look like we're a couple." His muted outburst elicited a soft chuckle from Hermione before she answered him.
"I hate to break it to you, Severus, but we are, indeed, a couple. We have been one since that day my potion worked. It hasn't been perfect, but we still fit the definition. You better get used to the idea."
Albus coughed lightly, reminding the pair of his presence before things got too sentimental.
"Well then," he began, "it's getting late, and tomorrow is another day of classes! Miss Granger, if you're feeling better I suggest that you head back to Gryffindor Tower to reassure your friends of your good health. I'm sure they will have many questions for you. I hope you can come up with something creative to tell them."
"Oh, I'm very capable of that, sir. Thank you again for your visit. It was very reassuring in many respects." She watched as Albus said his goodbyes to Severus before going back to his office. After he was gone, she turned towards Snape.
"Would you mind walking me back? I haven't been out of this bed for the past four days. I might be a little shaky."
He nodded his silent acquiescence as he grasped her hand to help her stand. They made their way silently up to Gryffindor Tower, stopping just out of the Fat Lady's line of sight. Hermione leaned against the wall, exhausted after the walk up from the dungeons. She winced, not from pain, but from the realization that it would take a while for her to recover her strength. She wasn't used to not being completely self-functional. After catching her breath she looked up at Severus.
"Thank you. I never really said it, because I suppose I wasn't thankful, but I am now. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for everything." She could have sworn she saw a tear run down his cheek in response, but his face was taken from her view as he moved down to kiss her forehead.
"I will only accept your gratitude if you swear never to try something like that again. Now goodnight, Hermione, I will see you in class tomorrow morning. Believe me, there will be consequences should you not attend." She knew his warning was in jest, but before she could respond, he was gone, a black flash in the Gryffindor corridor.
Hermione walked into her room and sat on her bed, feeling somewhat out of place in what once felt exactly like her home. As she recalled everything that had happened that night, she burst into an unaccountable and uncontrollable fit of laughter that died out slowly as she fell asleep, wondering who Dumbledore's next matchmaking experiment would involve and what had gone so wrong in his previous attempts at playing Cupid.