WARNING: This chapter has an M rating. For a reason. Read & Review, thank you everyone!

Chapter Seven: Connecting The Dots

Severus Snape nearly dropped his cup of tea when he heard a knock on the door. Harry wasn't due back for another half-hour, and expected to arrive through the Floo Network besides the point. Recovering from the surprise, he got up to see who was calling this late in the evening. It was exactly late, only seven, but proper wizarding protocol was that unless you were an old, dear friend, calling after four in the afternoon, unexpectedly, was rude.

As the door opened and he was preparing for his customary sneer, his face changed to total shock when he saw the woman before him. "Emily?" he croaked.

Before he could compose himself, Emily, for Emily it indeed was, had thrown her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Severus! Sweet Merlin, Severus, I came as soon as I got your letter!"

Severus just gaped at her for a moment after she released him. "Emily?" he asked again.

The pretty woman smiled. "Yes, you dunderhead."

She had certainly aged well, Severus thought. He half wondered if Hermione would age that well, but then drove his mind back to the woman standing in from of him, and found his manners. "Uh, come in, please."

She stepped in, and Severus closed the door. The took the armchairs by the fireplace. "I do forgive you," she said, breaking the ice. "Though I did find out some years ago you'd joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. After that, I stopped looking for info on you. I hurt too much. I'm beyond glad you turned back to the Light."

Severus remained silent.

"Russ?" Emily asked.

Severus shook his head. He hadn't been called 'Russ' since the last time he'd seen her. She'd been the only one to ever call him that. It was her nickname for him. "I'm sorry, Emily, I'm just still in shock that you're actually here. Writing that letter was a spur of the moment thing - and like writing a letter to a ghost. I never imagined I'd hear back form you, let alone that you'd turn up at my door a few days later."

"Life goes on, Russ, but I never forgot you, never stopped missing you," Emily whispered.

"So," Severus said, trying to move the conversation to a less awkward subject. "Fill me in. What have you made of your life? Did you marry?"

"Yes, I did. A muggle man. Allen Granger. Allen's brother, David, is married to my muggle sister, which is how Allen and I were introduced; their wedding. By the way, when you mentioned your friend Hermione looking like me, I thought it was funny because I have a niece by that name. I've not seen her much since she was little, as she goes to some boarding school for gifted youth."

"Is that so?" Severus said, an edge in his voice. "One moment please, Emily."

He stepped to the fireplace, and through some powder into the flames. "Hermione's rooms."

Hermione appeared before him in seconds. "Hermione, would you please step through for a minutes?" he asked.

"Absolutely, Severus," she replied. "Let me just go change. I just got back from the Forbidden Forest."

"And you'll tell me why you were there later," he glared.

"What's going on, Russ?" Emily asked when Hermione vanished.

"I think my Hermione is your niece," Severus said quietly. "Her surname is Granger, and she is muggleborn."

Emily didn't have a chance to respond, as Hermione popped through the fireplace and confirmed what Severus had already concluded. "Aunt Emily?"

"You're a witch?" they both gasped.*

"Sweet Merlin," Hermione said. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Emily frowned. "Your father has alot of explaining to do. I was told you were at a boarding school for gifted youth. He knows I'm a witch."

Severus saw Hermione's face go white. He got up and steadied her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just...need to sit," Hermione said.

Severus guided her over to his vacent armchair and sat her down. He stole a glance at Emily and saw her eyebrows raised. He knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that he fancied Hermione. Oh, awkward.

And to make matters more interesting, the fireplace roared to life again and out stepped Harry. Severus groaned inwardly.

"Hey Hermione, hey Sev," Harry said cheerfully "Missed you...hey, who are you? he asked, noticing Emily.

"I'm Emily Granger," Emily answered. "I'm an old...friend of Severus'."

"And my aunt," Hermione added, looking even sicker. Severus figured she'd just realized he used to be involved with her aunt.

"Always a pleasure to meet one of Severus' former lovers," Harry said stiffly.

"Former being the important word there, Harry," Severus said, defending himself. "The last time I saw her was about the time you were born."

"Sure," Harry said. "No problem. Hermione, how about we go and let these too finish catching up?"

Hermione nodded, and she and Harry made for the door. "Send me an owl sometime, Aunt Emily," Hermione said weakly.

Harry was less kind in his parting words. "Send me an Owl, Severus, when you feel like spending some time with your current lover."

Hermione Granger sipped her tea slowly. It was nearly time for bed, and she was pondering the weekend's events. Points: Severus Snape had called her a 'truly singular woman', as apposed to the usual 'insufferable know-it-all'; She and Severus had stayed up late into the night on Saturday, just talking, and he seemed to have enjoyed it; She had very much enjoyed the conversation; and what did that flutter in her stomach mean, anyway?

No answers coming to mind, Hermione banished her tea cup to the kitchens and crawled into bed. After briefly thinking about what Monday held in store, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Hermione was dressed in a short nightgown, and a cloak. She was walking toward the dungeons in her bare feet, the lamps going black as she passed each of them, until at last there was only one light left, illuminating the door to Severus Snape's quarters. She tried the door, and found it open. Stepping inside, she saw a bare chested Severus beckoning to her.

Hermione walked toward him, and he pulled her close to his body. There was a fire burning hotly in the room. 'Are you too warm?' Severus asked.

In answer, Hermione shrugged off the cloak and watched the Potions Master take in her shapely form with a gentle smile. 'You want me.' Severus said. It was not a question.

'Yes.' Hermione whispered. 'But do you want me?'

Severus didn't answer, but rather took his hand and touched her cheek, slowly letting his hand run down her jaw line, then her neck, then to her shoulder where he finally rested it on the strap to her gown.

'Yes?' he asked. This time it was a question.

'Yes.' Hermione consented.

Hermione woke with a start. "What in the name of Merlin was that?" she shouted to her empty quarters. Hermione could feel wetness between her legs. "Get a grip girl, you have a boyfriend, and you are not a raging hormonal teenager."

She rebuked her dream self for thinking such things about the man who was out of bounds for so many reasons. "He's gay. He's married to your best friend. He used to fuck your aunt. You have a boyfriend. And not to mention, he's your damn teacher."

Harry sat silently in his down. He was mad at. Mad that an ex of Severus' seemed interested in getting back into his life. Mad that he'd spent the weekend away planning to build the home that would become his and Severus', only to come home to find Severus spending time with said ex. But mostly he was mad at himself for loosing his temper like that. He trusted Severus. There was nothing going on. He'd just been an idiot and jumped to conclusions. For all he knew, Emily-Aunt-Of-Hermione's-Granger probably was just catching up. If she was realted to Hermione, she couldn't be all that bad. Then again, that's what Dumbledore had thought of the Dursley's.

* I kind of stole this line/moment from "The Little Mermaid II", where Ariel and Melody meet as mermaids for the first time and both gasp "You're a mermaid?"...Don't know why that came to mind when I was writing this, but it worked, so there you go. :)