Leaving Hermione in Poppy's care, Severus stormed up to the Headmistress's office, Crookshanks trotting behind him. Severus tried more than once to shoo the annoying beast away, but the young witch's familiar would have none of it; he simply followed the dark wizard as he pleased, sometimes jumping ahead and looking back at Severus with bored annoyance.

The dark wizard stopped short. "Will you quit following me?"

Ears folded back, Crookshanks looked into Severus's eyes and replied in his mind, iWomen and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea./i

Severus snarled, "Heinlein? Your witch has esoteric taste in Muggle literature."

Crookshanks flicked his tail in annoyance. iWhoever said my witch was the one who read it?/i

Looking up in pained annoyance, Severus replied, "I will not stand here and discuss the idiotic notion of cats reading books." He resumed storming down the hall. "Follow me if you wish," he called out, "but if you take to winding 'round my feet, I'll not be responsible for the ensuing kink in your tail." He smirked when Crookshanks growled.

After winding his way through the halls, Severus found himself standing before the Headmistress's door. The gargoyle statue which guarded Dumbledore's office was gone, replaced by a granite sphinx. The sphinx's eyes opened at Severus's approach, and the creature said in a melodious feminine voice, "Greetings, Professor. How may I assist you?"

"I need to speak with the Headmistress, if you please."

The statue raised a chiseled eyebrow. "What is the password?"

"Nepeta Cataria."

Diamond-tipped claws made slight chinking noises on the floor as the stone beast moved aside. "Please proceed." She glanced down at Crookshanks. "No password is required from you, half-cat. You would simply walk through the walls anyway should I deny you entrance."

Severus snorted in disgust as Crookshanks sauntered through the doorway with his bottle-brush tail held at a smug height.

"Nepeta Cataria, Minerva?" He took the steaming cup of tea proffered by the Headmistress and blew over its rippled surface before sipping. "The scientific term for catnip isn't a very secure password."

The Headmistress shrugged. "You and Pomona are the only ones who would know anything about the scientific names of plants, so I figured it was safe."

His feathers somewhat unruffled by Minerva's offhand confidence in his knowledge, Severus sat his tea down on the table and relaxed into his chair. He told her everything and showed her the poem Hermione had included in her suicide letter. "I need to speak with Albus."

"You most certainly do." She cocked her head to one side. "Severus, have you taken a really good look at this poem?"

"I've seen more of that blasted poem than I care to." He watched the Headmistress carefully. "Why, what do you see?"

Minerva looked up from the parchment. "This isn't some young lover's overdone poem; this is a very old shaman spell."

Eyes widening in alarm, Severus got up from his chair and snapped the paper from Minerva's grasp; the Headmistress poked his arm for his rudeness.

"The Dark Lord used shaman blood magic to recreate his physical body." He looked at Minerva with very real alarm. "How in the seven hells did Miss Granger get her hands on this?"

Albus's voice rang out from his portrait. "Because I gave it to her."

Both of them whirled around to the painted image of the former Headmaster. Minerva recovered her tongue first. "Oh, Albus, how could you give something like that to Hermione?"

Severus was nearly shaking with fury. Albus had used and abused him; that much was certain, but he had done things in his life that merited such punishment. Miss Granger had not.

"Why would you do such a thing?" He clenched his teeth to keep from shouting. "What the hell were you thinking?" His teeth lost their battle to control his voice. "GODDAMNIT, ALBUS, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO US?!"

Albus raised a painted palm. "Severus, my boy, there's no need to shout-"

"Fuck you, Albus. Your days of controlling my every movement are done." He held up the parchment for Albus to see. "Now tell me what this is, or so help me I will introduce you to Muggle turpentine."

Minerva sighed and returned to her desk. "I would almost be nostalgic for the two of you fighting, but somehow it has lost its charm." She sighed in resignation and sat down. "I cannot be your Secret Keeper any longer, Albus. Tell the man the truth."

Severus summoned a chair and sat near Albus's portrait. "Yes, Albus, tell the man the truth," he sneered. "Apparently there really are first times for everything. No thank you, Minerva, I've had quite enough tea. Now, old man, tell me. What the hell did you do?"

iWake up…

Wake up…

Wake up, you insufferable girl…/i

Hermione opened her eyes and slowly sat up. She could have sworn her Potions professor was talking to her, but it must have been a dream because he was nowhere to be seen.

iIt took you long enough./i

She slunk back against her pillow, drawing the blanket up to her chin. Her eyes were wide and wild, searching for the source of the voice that sounded so much like her hateful teacher.

iHate was the only thing that brought a reaction. Did you not realize the depths of your own apathy?/i

Assorted items crashed to the floor as Hermione knocked her table askew in a mad scramble to get out of bed.

iAs you were, you crazed slattern! Do you wish to show your backside to all and sundry?/i

Her chin trembling, she managed to whisper, "Where are you?"

iI'm in your mind, you idiot. Are you sure you're Hermione Granger? She was the smartest witch of her age, and you are most…obviously…not./i

Hermione fell to her knees sobbing, her face in her hands. "Why are you deviling me? Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

iYou tempted me./i

She crawled back into bed and burrowed beneath her blanket, holding it close. She must have gone mad; why else was she hearing voices? Memories of television programs with frightening images of schizophrenics locked away in asylums flashed through her mind, and she began to cry in earnest.

iShhh, stop that now./i The Severus-like voice in her mind was tender, which proved that she must have gone bonkers. Severus Snape was never tender, especially not with her. iYou are neither bonkers nor developing Schizophrenia. The barrier is disintegrating, and I am bleeding through./i

"What barrier?"

Silence.

"Professor, what barrier?"

Nothing.

"What barrier are you talking about?" Hermione shouted.

"Here now, that's enough of that." Poppy Pomfrey entered with a small bottle and a spoon. "There will be no more shouting, Miss Granger. You'll wear yourself out."

Eyes full of terror stared up at the Mediwitch. "But I heard him, Madam Pomfrey. I heard Professor Snape in my head!"

Poppy shook her head as she measured out a dose of the foul-smelling potion she had brought with her. "You are simply overwrought, Miss Granger. Your emotions have been stripped bare, and that is enough to make anyone hallucinate." She held out the spoon.

"But it was real," Hermione said around the spoon, making a face at the nasty flavor. Why did Professor Snape's potions always taste so bad?

iBecause I enjoy the tortured looks on your faces./i

"There! I heard him again!" Hermione looked up at the Mediwitch hopefully. "You heard him, didn't you?" Her eyes took on a slightly mad gleam. "Please tell me you heard him!"

Poppy shook her head sadly. "I heard nothing, child." She pulled up the blanket around Hermione and fluffed her pillow. "Now go to sleep. Everything will be better in the morning."

Hermione made to protest, but the potion was strong, and it pulled her into unconsciousness.

For one of the very few times in his life, Severus Snape was speechless. He looked down at his chest and fingered the long, thin, silvery scar that ran down his breastbone and surmised that Hermione must have one just like it.

"It was the only way to keep you alive, my boy. I couldn't have just thrown you away or left you to die. There was no other way to ensure that you would survive."

Severus looked down at Crookshanks. "This is what she meant by her familiar following her heart." He gazed back up at the portrait. "My heart beats within Hermione's chest and hers in mine."

Albus sighed. "Yes, that is how the spell manifested. It was supposed to be temporary, though; Miss Granger couldn't have held your heart long-term without spiritual damage."

"Why am I not similarly affected?"

Minerva rose from her desk and approached the pair. "Read the poem again, Severus."

The dark wizard gazed at the parchment, but no insights were forthcoming. "I'm simply not seeing it."

"It's the last line. Look here." Minerva pointed to the words. "If only you had loved me," she read. "There's your answer. You don't love her, so she can't hold your heart without it hurting her."

"But, I'm not damaged by hers."

Minerva simply stared at him.

Severus let loose an impressive string of swear words and hung his head in his hands. "Oh, that foolish, foolish girl."